Conor Benn is rightfully getting the plaudits for the handiwork he showed last night in knocking out former champ Chris Algieri in highlight-reel fashion. The unbeaten 25-year-old welterweight contender is now 20-0(13) and he is already looking forward to his next fight.
Eddie Hearn has wanted to make a fight between Benn and another former champion (in fact a former champ at four weights), Adrian Broner, for some time, and he still wants it.
Benn himself has called out Broner and if “The Problem” can be lured over to the UK (“what a fight for The O2,” Hearn said to IFL TV) this one would be a big event.
Imagine the build-up and the hype for this one! Benn has said he doesn’t think Broner, 34-4-1(24) would try any trash-talk at his expense, but we would surely get some fun and games in the lead-up to this fight it, to put it mildly.
Of course, Benn wants to be the world champion and he and plenty of other people fully believe he will reach the very top. Dad Nigel – who ruled the world at both middleweight and super-middleweight in the 1990s – told IFL that he thinks the KO job his son did on Algieri would be repeated if Conor fought Yordenis Ugas.
Now that would be impressive. Ugas, the reigning WBA welterweight champ, and conqueror of the legendary Manny Pacquiao has never been stopped as a pro. Currently 27-4(12) the Cuban stylist might not have heard of Benn (not yet anyway) and he is looking at bigger fights.
Still, the way he’s going, Benn might end up getting a shot at Ugas before too long. But as Hearn and Benn senior have said, Conor is still only 25 and he has no need to rush things. That Broner fight would be just about ideal for Benn’s next fight.
Broner is not what he once was, and he has lately been making more headlines for his out-of-the-ring exploits, not for any special ring performances, but he is no shot fighter. And Broner of course has never been stopped himself, but might Benn change that if the fight happens?
Who knows how much money 32-year-old Broner would want to take this fight, especially if it was set for the UK (in what would be Broner’s UK debut)? But it would likely be money well spent on the part of Hearn.
Benn is fast becoming a real star and a fight with the trash-talking Broner – Broner being the ultimate ‘man you love to hate,’ – would almost certainly give Hearn a sell-out at The O2. There really seems to be no more obvious a next fight for Benn than this one. And who wouldn’t watch it!
Yes give Yordenis Ugas a shot with Spence.
Yordenis Ugas and Earl Spence would be awesome if we could get together for a bout.