By: Hans Themistode
Conor Benn is very much in the early stages of his career. But that doesn’t mean promoter Eddie Hearn isn’t already planning his future.
The British born 147-pound prospect has dominated everyone placed in front of him. Like all young fighters, Benn is slowly receiving an uptick in his level of competition. In November of 2020, Benn comfortably defeated Sebastian Formella via unanimous decision. He then followed that up with a first-round knockout win over the normally durable Samuel Vargas.
Next up for Benn, is a matchup against Adrian Granados this coming Saturday at Headingley Rugby League Stadium in Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. While Hearn isn’t anticipating an easy night at the office, the long-time promoter does expect Benn to pick up the win. If that does in fact happen, Hearn is already planning a huge step up in competition for his next ring appearance.
“If he beats Granados comfortably, I love the Adrien Broner fight,” said Hearn during an interview with IFL TV. “I think it’s a massive fight.”
At one point, Broner was in the exact same position as Benn. Young, confident, explosive, and talented. Those attributes ultimately led Broner to world titles in four separate weight divisions. Since his early success, however, Broner’s career has gone downhill. For a year and a half stretch, Broner went 0-2-1 in his three ring appearances.
Despite that, he did manage to pick up a win in his most recent showing, outpointing journeymen Jovanie Santiago in February earlier this year. While he may not be the fighter that he once was, Broner would still represent a massive step up in competition for Benn.
The thought of a Benn vs. Broner matchup is one that makes Hearn smile in excitement. Regardless of whether it’s Broner or someone else entirely, Hearn is fully convinced that Benn is on his way to superstardom. But first things first, Hearn wants Benn to remain focused on the task at hand.
“Conor is focused on Granados. This is all that matters. Do a job on Granados, then, we’ll start talking about what’s next. The future is amazing for Conor Benn.”