Conor Benn may have left Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the first blemish on his record, but the 28‑year‑old’s stock spiked in that twelve‑round thriller with Chris Eubank Jr. Judges had it 116‑112 across the board for the naturally bigger Eubank, yet the fight drew more than a million global PPV buys and plenty felt the cards were too wide. Now Benn is leveraging the buzz to plot his next move - and the menu is loaded with marquee names.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Benn laid out four targets: an immediate Eubank rematch, WBA “regular” champion Rolly Romero, WBC titlist Mario Barrios, or the evergreen legend Manny Pacquiao. “The rematch is in demand, but we all have options,” he said, adding that Pacquiao is “past his sell‑by date but still a legend.”
Watch the 12th round of Eubank vs. Benn highlights: Watch
Each option carries its own intrigue. Romero is fresh off a Times Square shocker over Ryan Garcia to claim the WBA strap, setting the trash‑talk bar sky‑high for any Benn clash. Barrios, meanwhile, holds the WBC belt and is pencilled in for a July defense against Pacquiao, whose unlikely comeback at 46 has been recently green‑lit by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. If Pac‑Man upsets Barrios, Benn could chase a generational scalp; if Barrios wins, a title shot awaits. Either scenario would land Benn on a U.S. stage with belt and box‑office potential.
First, the Brit must shed the extra muscle he carried up to 156 lb for Eubank. His camp insists the cut back to welterweight poses no problem, pointing to Benn’s engine and granite chin under fire in London as proof he can handle Romero’s explosiveness or Barrios’ length. Critics note that Benn’s aggressive style still leaves defensive gaps, but promoter Eddie Hearn believes a summer return, likely in Las Vegas or Dallas, will answer those questions.
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