Conor Benn: The View From An Englishman

My editor asked me to do a “deep dive” from a British perspective on Conor Benn for the American audience. That’s a lot to unpack ahead of the Englishman’s WBC welterweight title clash against Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) this coming Saturday.

Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) consumed headlines when he signed with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing earlier this year. His former promoter Eddie Hearn took it quite personally, despite not tying down one of his prized assets to a new promotional contract. The very public falling out, largely from Hearn’s end, has only added to his fame. However, the consensus in my great nation is that Benn’s ability falls well short of his ever-growing profile.

Reading through the 29-year-old’s record, it reads well. So, why the little faith in his ability, when focusing on the elite level of the sport?

Benn signed with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing over a decade ago. We knew little about the young super lightweight upon turning professional with one of the premier names among promoters, other than that his dad, hall of famer Nigel Benn, was a household name for his exploits at middleweight and super middleweight from the late 1980s through to the mid-1990s.

Every star needs a credible rival. Nigel’s was Chris Eubank Sr. Their rivalry saw them lock horns twice over a three-year period, with Eubank winning the first fight by stoppage in the ninth round, and the second bout was scored a majority-decision draw. Hearn’s plan from the very beginning of Benn’s career was to line him up with Chris Eubank Jr, although they were four weight classes apart. Nine years after his debut, the pair finally met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, following Benn’s failed drugs test, which had “nothing to do with the eggs!”

Those failed performance-enhancing drug tests only added to his profile after a long-running battle with the UK Anti-Doping Agency and the British Boxing Board of Control. Benn jumped up to middleweight to battle his blood nemesis, losing the first by unanimous decision, but reversed the deficit just over six months later. That’s where many American readers started taking serious notice of the Essex native.

Back to why there are concerns over Benn’s natural ability. Roll the clock back to December 13, 2017, 18 months after Benn turned pro. A little-known Frenchman, Cedric Peynaud, 5-4-3 at the time, should have seen the first blemish added to Benn’s record after a six-round bout at London’s York Hall. A disastrous opening round saw Benn hit the canvas twice. He would lose the second but would roar back in the third as he pressed for the stoppage. However, Peynaud traded back, which Benn struggled with. Tony Bellew’s unofficial scorecard read 30-25 in favour of the Frenchman. Benn lost the fourth in my opinion too, but he would floor Peynaud in round five and six to give his performance some credibility.

Those unaware: four- and six-round fights in the UK are scored by the referee, which I’m aware is very stupid. British boxing fans do not disagree. Somehow Bob Williams handed Benn an unfathomable score of 57-54. I’m not a mathematician, but that scorecard insulted the British public’s intelligence. Benn was being protected at all costs. That’s where the lack of confidence in Benn’s future really began for British boxing fans.

A couple of years later, Benn would plow through some decent names, albeit towards the end of their careers. Stoppages against Samuel Vargas, Chris Algieri and Chris van Heerden had turned him into a decent headliner. This led to a casual crossover against Eubank Jr. The two failed drug tests prohibited a scheduled pay-per-view contest against his rival, which Matchroom appeared to try and force through anyway. But Benn’s name grabbed the headlines.

In British eyes, he was the clear villain, but most love a scandal. Benn and his promotional team stood firm on the failed drug test; Hearn even described the BBBoC as “obsolete” in their handling of the matter. Whether he was guilty of juicing or not, the public and the media viewed him as a cheater.

His move from Matchroom/free agency has perceived him to be unloyal, especially after Hearn’s spin after he didn’t get what he wanted. At the time of writing, I believe he has grown into British boxing’s villain quite nicely.

He’ll come up against another polarising character in Garcia this Saturday in Las Vegas. It appears that most are expecting a relatively straightforward victory for the outspoken American. The bookies have made Garcia the favourite at 4/11, while Benn is at 11/4.

I’m of the opinion that Benn can do something in this fight. I’m edging Garcia, but only just by a bit. The American has hardly been in the richest run of form. His WBC title triumph against Mario Barrios earlier this year does little to convince me that he will run through the Brit. Prior to his last fight against Regis Prograis, Benn took Eubank Jr’s best shots at 160 pounds and stayed firmly on his feet.

Will Benn’s fame continue to rise across the pond? I think so, if his chin holds, which I expect it will. Win, lose, or draw, he takes on one of the biggest stars in the sport in what stylistically hopes to be a war to remember.

Adam Noble-Forcey

Adam is a regular contributor to FightsATW and serves as the Online Editor for Germany’s longest-running boxing publication, BoxSport Magazin. He has covered the sport for over a decade, contributing to leading platforms including BoxingScene, Seconds Out, Boxing Social, and Pro Boxing Fans. In addition to his written work, Adam is a lead boxing commentator across Europe, calling fights in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Latvia, Albania, and the United Kingdom.

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