In the last year Conor Benn has been linked with both Mario Barrios and Manny Pacquiao.
Benn’s career was stopped in its tracks when a banned substance was found in his system back in 2022, cancelling a big-money bout with Chris Eubank Jr and starting off a long and frustrating episode with the UK Anti-Doping Agent and the British Boxing Board of Control.
He has returned to the ring twice and looked set to land a big fight last year, whether that be against Barrios for the WBC Interim Welterweight title or boxing legend Pacquiao in Saudi Arabia.
With a fresh suspension from the BBBofC and UKAD, Benn is out of the picture and Barrios, now elevated to full champion, has agreed to face Pacquiao.
Speaking to IFL TV about the fight, Benn first said he was ‘frustrated’ due to being in line for the shot before further complications arose with his doping investigation.
“It’s frustrating because I was in line to fight Barrios for the WBC World Title. It kills me. It killed me, because I’ve got my dad’s WBC belt up in my house and it says, ‘it’s time for you to go get yours, son.’ Now for me to be in line to fight for the WBC World Title and not be able to, that was a hard pill to swallow cause it’s a dream. It is what it is. No doubt that will come up again.”
As for the fight itself, the 27-year-old Brit praise Pacquiao for looking to make history and aligned his views with the WBC that he deserves to walk into a world title fight.
“As far as Pacquiao and Barrios I think it’s a good fight. I’ll definitely be watching, I might even be ringside … Of course [Pacquiao deserves the opportunity] he’s a legend of the game, a Hall of Famer. People are gonna talk about you regardless, good or bad. What happens when he wins it, if he wins it? If he wants to come and do a George Foreman and win a world title at the age of [45] mate, crack on. Come back and prove the world wrong.”
Talks continue between Pacquiao and Barrios, with a date in the autumn reportedly being targeted. Benn does not yet have a return date but says he hopes it can be this year.
