Eddie Hearn says Conor Benn refused fight at Premier League stadium as limitation claim made

Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn has claimed Conor Benn refused to take a fight at a Premier League stadium due to fear of losing.

Despite working alongside one another for a decade, Hearn and Benn are no longer on good terms after the boxer reportedly went behind the promoter’s back before penning an initial one-fight deal with Dana White-backed Zuffa Boxing.

Benn won his first fight under the promotion, defeating former world champion Regis Prograis on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, and has since signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa, with five fights to be spread across a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The Brit has been linked with a future WBC world title showdown with America’s Ryan Garcia, with the pair going back and forth in several interviews – although a fight has yet to be officially announced. Benn is the sanctioning body’s number one contender, meaning a fight would be easy to make.

Conor Benn turned down three fights, says Hearn

Benn’s former promoter Hearn has made a huge claim about the fighter, suggesting he turned down several fights because “he knows his limitations”.

Speaking to Boxing News, Hearn explained how Benn was offered bouts with Northern Ireland’s Lewis Crocker, America’s Rolando Romero and England’s Josh Kelly but showed little interest in the three names despite even being afforded the opportunity to fight the latter at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

Hearn said: “When Lewis Crocker won the world [welterweight] title, I was like, ‘Oh my God – Crocker v Benn at the O2 [Arena] for the world title!’

“I went to Conor and he was like, ‘Nah, I don’t want that fight’. Then he eventually started talking about the [IBF’s 10lb] rehydration [policy] and all that kind of stuff.

“So then I was like, ‘Rolly Romero’ – we had that fight done with [Romero’s manager] Luis DeCubas. Benn was like, ‘It’s not a very big fight’. I’m like, ‘Mate, you’re getting a [WBA] world [welterweight] title fight in London. I think you can beat Rolly Romero.’

“What about [IBF super-welterweight champion] Josh Kelly at [Sunderland’s] Stadium of Light?’ [Benn said:] ‘I ain’t fighting f***ing Josh Kelly’.

“I think he knows his limitations, so why would you get beat for small money when you can get beat for bigger money?”