Conor Benn is in the sights of a current undefeated world champion.
Benn is in the aftermath of a bruising fight with generational rival Chris Eubank Jr in April. After 12 all-action rounds, he was handed a unanimous points loss but received plenty of credit for making it such an engaging battle, especially given that he was going up two weights to meet the naturally bigger Eubank.
Although Benn is eager for a second shot at Eubank, there is a chance the contracted rematch does not take place and he will instead move back down to welterweight and focus on winning a world title.
There are also plenty of big names without a belt that are soon to be or willing to move to 147 pounds, including the likes of Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney.
Another American keen on facing Benn is former featherweight champion and current lightweight ruler Shakur Stevenson, recently telling FightHype that he had ‘sized him up.’
“I size people up, so I sized him up and I was like, yo I could fight him. I wouldn’t mind fighting him.”
Stevenson and Benn recently had an initial back and forth in which they both confirmed they wanted the bout to happen. Eddie Hearn, who promotes both men, said they had been in touch.
“Conor Benn texted me yesterday with the clip [of Shakur]. Literally, within about two minutes, Shakur texted me as well, saying ‘make the fight at 147.'”
Stevenson is the current WBC Lightweight World Champion who is rated as one of the best in the world but has often taken criticism for his safety-first style and for beating people in second gear without taking any risks. Benn, the bigger man this time around, is a come-forward fighter convinced he could solve the puzzle Stevenson presents. Fans, however, would likely rather both men focused on their own divisions.
Stevenson will defend his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda on July 12.
