Conor Benn reframes His Defeat to Chris Eubank Jr. as a Confirmation of proving himself at 160

Conor Benn says he proved himself within the 160-lb division together with his efficiency in his loss to middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. earlier this 12 months on April twenty sixth. The 2 will meet in a rematch on November 15 on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Tottenham, London, 58 days from now. The occasion might be proven on DAZN PPV.

Proving Value at 160 Kilos

Whereas Benn did show himself to a sure extent at 160 in his efficiency final April, it wasn’t a adequate efficiency to recommend that he may exist among the many elite or A-level fighters within the middleweight division. Followers don’t view Eubank Jr. as being amongst them. He’s seen as a profession underachiever.

The highest middleweights

Janibek Alimkhanuly
Yoenli Hernandez
Calos Adames
Erislandy Lara
Denzel Bentley

Conor, 28, stays bitter about his loss, making an attempt to salvage a optimistic from it to spice up his confidence going into the second struggle. He was aggressive early, however then fell aside as the competition wore on.

Inside Sport Deficiencies

Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) gave Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) a tricky struggle within the early rounds together with his energy and explosive punching. Eubank Jr. shortly figured him out, recognizing that he’s a potshot fighter who hundreds up on single pictures, and outworked him with mixtures on the within to win a 12-round unanimous resolution by the scores 116-112, 116-112, and 116-112.

The struggle confirmed that Benn has no inside recreation and may solely punch with energy from medium to lengthy vary. That’s an issue which will persist within the rematch and when Conor returns to the 147-lb division.

Middleweight Division’s Weak spot

The competitiveness of the struggle confirmed two issues:

The middleweight division is weak: For Benn to leap up two weight lessons from 147 to 160 and stay aggressive towards the highest 5 contenders highlights the weakened situation of the division. I imagine there are fighters that might have a catastrophe for Benn to struggle, reminiscent of Yoenli Hernandez, Janibek Alimkhanuly, and Carlos Adames; these are the cream of the crop. Benn has sufficient expertise to be a contender on this division if he wished, however his probabilities of ever profitable a world title can be slim.
Eubank Jr. is flawed: He was uncovered by the novice Benn, and he was compelled to struggle onerous in a grueling 12-round struggle to tug out a unanimous resolution. I don’t imagine Benn would have lasted greater than 4 or 5 rounds towards the elite within the middleweight division, Yoenli Hernandez, Adames, Erislandy Lara, or Janibek.

The Monetary Incentive

“Lots of people are going, ‘You’re simply cashing out. You’re out of your depth.’ He’s acquired an excellent resume compared to mine. I used to be a prospect/contender, and I’ve proved my value at 160,” mentioned Conor Benn to Ring Journal, arguing that his earlier efficiency towards the then 35-year-old middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. proved his value within the 160-lb division final April.

In accordance with Sporting Information, Conor Benn’s purse for his first struggle towards Eubank Jr. was $10.5 million on April 26. For the rematch on November 15, Benn is reportedly set to obtain $10.5 million once more. That’s huge cash for a fighter who has by no means received a world title or fought a contender throughout his nine-year profession earlier than his loss to Eubank Jr.

Conor would look foolish if he tried to persuade followers that he’s not combating Eubank Jr. once more for the cash. That must be a central level in why Benn is taking the struggle once more, as a result of he clearly misplaced the final struggle and absorbed a number of punishment.

Return to 147 Kilos

“So, I’m simply excited to get again all the way down to 147 after this struggle and do extra harm on the weight I must be combating at,” mentioned Benn.

Punch stats

Eubank Jr.: 367 of 912 punches for 40.2%
Benn: 215 of 593 for 35.3%