Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) is interested in challenging WBA, WBC, and WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford for his three titles if he survives his match against American Peter Dobson (16-0, 9 KOs) this Saturday night, February 3rd.
The 27-year-old Benn, the son of the famous Nigel Benn, is headlining on DAZN against Dobson at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Dobson isn’t a top-tier contender at 147 and not the ideal opponent that one would figure as preparation for a fighter like Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), but maybe it doesn’t matter.
With Hearn’s powerful promotional pull and with DAZN backing up, perhaps they can convince Crawford to defend his three welterweight titles against the unproven Benn next if he fails to get the clash against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
Crawford doesn’t have a fight lined up, and he’s not going to be able to challenge WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu unless he wants to wait for him to get done with his March 30th non-title match against Keith Thurman.
Benn has faced none of the relevant 147-lb contenders during his eight-year professional career to prove that he’s deserving of a fight against Crawford. His best wins have come against these three: Chris Van Heerden, Adrian Granados, and Chris Algieri. That’s not exactly murderer’s row, is it?
“He’s just violent. He’s always ready to fight, and that’s what makes him what he is,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about Conor Benn. “People talk about him being Nigel Benn’s son, but the similarities are frightening, especially when you’re talking about fighting in Vegas.
“He [Nigel] had his fight against Iran Barkley. For Conor to be headlining in Vegas unexpectedly and in strange circumstances. At the same time, a big moment for a British fighter to do that. Every fighter dreams of fighting in Las Vegas.
“This is a big opportunity for him. He’s got to look good. I like Dobson, and he’ll have a right go. But we can’t expect Conor to struggle against him if he’s talking about the people he’s talking about. So, I think it’ll be fireworks, and I think he’ll knock him out inside five rounds.
“Conor has got to slice through him like a knife through butter if he’s going to be making a statement out here, and I believe he’ll do it,” said Hearn about Benn’s fight with Dobson.
