Conor Benn says he won’t fight Terence Crawford at 160 or 168 pounds. He states that he heard that Crawford wanted to fight the winner of his fight with Chris Eubank Jr. last Saturday, November 15. This means Crawford may target Benn in his next fight.
“Don’t do 160 degrees” – Benn draws the line
Crawford may not want to drop down to 154 pounds to face Benn. If a fight between them happens, it would have to be around 160 pounds. Terence has already said he won’t go back to 154 pounds. So if Benn wants that payday against Crawford, he may have to go back down to 160 pounds. What a shame if this gem doesn’t come true.
Benn (24-1, 14 KO) defeated Eubank Jr. by unanimous decision of 12 rounds in the rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The victory of Conor, the son of celebrated British fighter Nigel Benn, has put him in a position where he can choose who he wants next.
“Someone told me that Crawford had his eye on the winner. I heard from a source that he wanted me and Eubank to win,” Conor Benn said in an interview with Ariel Helwani YouTube channel on Terence Crawford saying he wants to fight the winner of his November 15 fight against Chris Eubank Jr.
Fighting for weight kills the superfight
“I don’t do 168 or 160.” told Benn he was not interested in fighting Crawford above 154 pounds.
Considering that Turki Alalshikh has been bankrolling Crawford’s last few fights, it would make financial sense for Benn to take a minor hit and go back to 160 pounds if that’s the only way he can get the match. The Crawford fight would be a huge payday if Turki were to be involved.
Benn can think about the easier money he can make by fighting one of these names:
Ryan Garcia
Mario Barrios – WBC welterweight champion
Rolando “Rolly” Romero – WBA champion
Devin Haney
Shakur Stevenson
Why won’t Benn risk his brand on ‘Bud’
These are all possibilities for Benn and he will call the shots as the “money man.” While fighting Crawford may be Benn’s biggest payday, it may not be worth it if he gets knocked out and humiliated. A loss would destroy his brand.
Ken Woods was a senior writer in Boxing News 24 since 2013, covering sports from every angle. With years of reporting from the ring, he delivers fight news, results and analysis that cuts through the noise. Ken’s work consistently focuses on champions, challengers and prospects, giving fans a piercing and educated view of the global boxing scene.
Gorokhov (16-11-2) had already done damage with large shots, finishing Kalkan (7-0, 4 KO) with a spotless knockout that forced the referee to wave his hand. The task has been completed.
After being detained, Gorokhov walked to the opposite corner, where a fight began. That was enough. The cornermen ran inside, the voices became piercing, followed by punches. Within seconds, many people entered the ring.
The situation got out of the referee’s control. The horns could not be separated. Once the non-fighters make it through the ropes, the result will be written in the record books.
The footage showed flying chairs and people trading on ropes as security tried to take control of the situation. The recording shows objects thrown near the ropes. The announcements to stop the fight didn’t change anything. The ring is already gone.
The sanctioning authority has confined powers and the ruling follows standard procedure. When the ropes are broken and extra hands are involved, the score cannot stand and is removed from the scoresheet.
An investigation is ongoing and suspensions and penalties are expected once reports are submitted. The verdict now comes from the officials, not the blows that ended it.
Kalkan keeps his undefeated record in the books. Gorokhov leaves without the victory he earned. Disciplinary action is expected following the investigation.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
Although Oleksandr Usyk presented his three-fight plan, a recent challenger entered the fight with hopes of taking a shot at the Ukrainian and winning the unified world heavyweight titles.
Next month’s meeting with Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven kicks off what Usyk envisioned as a series of three hand-picked fights before his planned retirement in 2027, with his next dance partner being the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois.
However, the WBC is expected to demand that Usyk fight mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel in his next fight, and promoter Frank Warren believes he will be stripped of his belt if he fails to face the undefeated German.
Meanwhile, the WBA and IBF titles are not on the line against Verhoeven, which has fight fans wondering whether Usyk could soon be stripped of those belts as well.
I’m talking to Fighting Hub TV after “Gigantic Baby” won, he told Usyk that there was nowhere to run or hide when fighting him.
“He’s a great fighter, man, but when you’re fighting a bully like me, there’s nowhere to run or hide. Usyk doesn’t really have crazy punching power, and he has trouble with guys who punch to the body and throw a lot of punches.”
This performance [against Pero] it was just a taste of what I could do. So the most essential thing is to go back and get the drawing board back. Let’s work and be ready for everyone.
I want Usyk to come back after the Rico fight and I can spank him.
If Usyk loses the WBA title, Miller could find himself in line for a title fight with current WBA Regular titleholder Murat Gassiew, who expected to be promoted to full champion. Although Moses Itauma would probably get the first shot at the proposed scrap with the Russian.
Benavidez enters Saturday’s fight with Gilberto Ramirez in a situation where even a tiny defeat may have a higher price than one defeat in history. Greater opportunities lie ahead, but those plans depend on beating Ramirez cleanly and leaving Las Vegas intact.
Benavidez will meet Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas in a fight for Ramirez’s WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles for $79.99. On paper, this is a bold move as Benavidez makes the jump from lightweight heavyweight to challenge an established titleholder who has already established himself in the division.
The pressure on Benavidez goes far beyond physical titles. For months, his name has been linked to huge opportunities at 175 pounds, most notably a clash with Dmitry Bivol. A loss to Ramirez would immediately derail those plans, forcing Benavidez into a rebuilding phase and delaying any significant career moves for the foreseeable future.
Winning in an ugly or narrow way can still invite skepticism. Benavidez is known for his constant pressure and high efficiency, and recently he has had a record of immaculate shots and has been forced to persevere in hard moments. Facing naturally larger opponents makes these defensive mistakes much more steep in the long run.
Ramirez may lack elite strength, but he has the experience and durability of a seasoned cruiserweight. He also enters the ring with much less weight on his shoulders than the challenger. All the pressure to perform rests entirely on Benavidez.
Therefore, the risk for Benavidez is much higher than for the man holding the belts. A victory will ensure that his path to mass fights remains clear, while any other result could immediately ruin his momentum and force him to spend time fighting Ramirez again. Getting stuck twice in the Ramirez fight would be a nightmare for Benavidez.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.