Conor Benn continues to bounce off matchmaking ideas on the public.
The brash and embattled British welterweight contender once again challenged rival Chris Eubank Jr. to a fight in a recent Instagram story. The two were originally supposed to fight each other in a high-profile fight in October but it was cancelled amid Benn’s scandal concerning performance-enhancing drugs; Benn tested positive twice for clomifene last year.
Talk of both sides revisiting the fight ramped up after Eubank’s scheduled middleweight rematch with Liam Smith had to be postponed for the second time due to an injury Smith sustained during his training camp. Smith knocked out Eubank in January in what was one of the more striking upsets of the year.
In the same post, Benn also called out highly regarded Philadelphia welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
“@ChrisEubankJr we getting this fight done or what?” Benn wrote. “If not Benn Vs Jaron Ennis next? [world emoji] top 5.”
Benn has been seeking fights with some of the biggest names in the sport despite the fact that he remains under investigation in his homeland for his positive drug tests. Benn has repeatedly maintained his innocence. As it stands, Benn cannot box in the United Kingdom as he remains unlicensed with the British Boxing Board of Control. Last month, United Kingdom Anti-Doping hit Benn with a formal anti-doping charge; Benn has been under provisional suspension by the outfit since mid-March.
Nevertheless, Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, has been working to get his controversial charge on a fight card outside of his homeland. They flirted with the Middle East for early June, then pivoted to June 17 in New Orleans, where headliner Regis Prograis is expected to take on Danielito Zorrilla, but that no longer appears to be in play. In addition to Eubank, retired welterweights Manny Pacquiao and Kell Brook have been mentioned as possible opponents for Benn.
Benn has called out the likes of Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr., and a slew of other top American welterweights, but those fights are unlikely to materialize as many of leading 147-pounders are aligned with Premier Boxing Champions, which seldom does business with Hearn’s Matchroom.
A fight with Ennis is also unlikely because he is backed by Showtime, which has an exclusive multi-year content deal with PBC.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.