Boxing
Conor Benn and Eddie Hearn: Ten years of trust, one email
Published
7 months agoon
Conor Benn’s departure from Matchroom was announced with warmth and gratitude. He thanked Eddie Hearn for being by his side during the most tough period of his career and said he would “always be truly grateful” for the support shown over the last decade.
Hours later, Hearn’s response suggested the divide was much deeper than a routine promotional move.
Benn signed with Zuffa Boxing in what was widely described as an eight-figure deal – an opportunity he described as one he “just couldn’t refuse.”
But it was the way the split happened that made the big-money move something much more uncomfortable.
The era of trust
Benn turned professional under Hearn in 2016. For ten years, Matchroom guided his career from prospect to major player. When his career stalled following a botched drug testing controversy that kept him off British soil, Hearn publicly supported him.
He didn’t move away from the problem. He didn’t quietly let the relationship fade away.
“I’ve known about this for a few days now and what’s been going on. I actually received an email from Conor Benn’s lawyer informing me about it,” Hearn told IFL TV.
“I’m not going to sit here and hang Conor Benn out to desiccated. But I have to be forthright with you, I’m personally very devastated.”
Hearn also described financial support during this period.
“I believed him, supported him and never gave up. When he finished, I lent him hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
The deal that never was
Hearn admitted he never put Benn on a long-term deal because he didn’t think there was a need. In boxing, that kind of trust rarely goes untested.
“It’s not often that you get shocked, but I blame myself because I forgot it was boxing,” Hearn said. “I just felt like the loyalty we showed would never, ever put us in this situation.
“I just felt like I never actually had to get Conor Benn to sign a up-to-date contract. I blame myself. I made a mistake because I misjudged the character.”
That last line hit like a shot because it came from a man who defended him when many people didn’t want to.
Revolving Eubank
Benn’s commercial power was rebuilt in two major London events against Chris Eubank Jr. – evenings that restored his image, earning power and market position.
Matchroom put them up. Hearn promoted them. The risk was absorbed, the value was returned, and Benn returned to a leading financial position.
Then came Zuffa.
The phone call that didn’t happen
The most revealing part of Hearn’s relationship wasn’t the money. It was a process.
“When I got the email from his lawyer, I texted him and said I think we should call. I think for everything I’ve done for you, I deserve a call, and he refused,” Hearn said.
Hearn continued: “I just don’t know what to say. Other than that I just felt like everything we gave him, the loyalty we gave him, the support we gave him, there was enough to talk about it or just get close to a certain number, but there wasn’t really any interest.”
If the decision itself was business, it clearly felt personal to Hearn.
“Very surprising, very painful, but it’s just another moment in life to live from and learn from,” Hearn said. “You lose a little bit of your soul. It’s a little numb. There’s a lot I can say.”
He also suggested outside influence, adding: “He doesn’t think he did anything wrong, but that’s who he is as a person. Sometimes you can poison yourself.”
Already in the Zuffa system
It wasn’t presented as a ponderous transition. Benn is already in Las Vegas for the week of Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia and has been training at the UFC Performance Institute.
This move is not theoretical. Benn is already in the Zuffa infrastructure.
The bigger picture
Benn’s statement hailed the move as an opportunity he could not refuse, while also expressing appreciation for his decade at Matchroom.
Hearn’s response put it another way: trust given, support provided, loan of money, then departure through lawyers followed by refusal to speak to the phone.
Boxing has always blurred the line between friendship and business. This division is a reminder that in current boxing, loyalty only lasts as long as the leverage lasts.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN), boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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Boxing
Dana Whites Vision: Who Fits Zuffa Between Benavidez and Tank?
Published
1 hour agoon
September 23, 2026
Dana White would like to work with David Benavidez and Gervonta Davis. Both names would draw attention to Zuffa Boxing. Benavidez offers a clearer path to the kind of regular, high-stakes fights White says he wants to deliver.
“I’m a big Tank fan. I love Tank,” White said on Cigar Talk. “I love Benavidez. There’s guys out there that I personally like and I’m a fan of that I would like to work with.” The interview was recorded before Ryan Garcia fought Conor Benn, but White’s interest in the two fighters is worth examining.
Zuffa already has Jai Opetaia. Benavidez wants to fight him, Opetaia wants the same, and White has said Zuffa is “very interested” in Benavidez. If Benavidez gets through his proposed December fight with Michal Cieslak, White would have a major cruiserweight bout to pursue within his own operation.
Benavidez has also been reported to have one fight remaining on his agreement with Sampson Lewkowicz and PBC. The terms are not public, so his availability after Cieslak cannot be treated as settled. It is enough to make Zuffa’s interest timely.
The appeal goes beyond one opponent. Benavidez’s pressure, combinations, and body work give Zuffa an action fighter to put before its Paramount+ audience. Opetaia might beat him; a later move to heavyweight might reveal that Benavidez is less imposing against naturally bigger men. Those are risks a promoter can build compelling fights around.
Tank gives White another obvious in-house matchup: Shakur Stevenson. His counterpunching and knockout power can turn a quiet round into a finish, and Tank–Shakur would attract attention well beyond Zuffa’s regular audience. White agreed during the interview that it is a fight fans want.
The trouble is getting a date. Tank fought Frank Martin in June 2024, drew with Lamont Roach in March 2025, and has not boxed since. A star who appears once and then disappears for another year does little to fill a streaming service’s fight calendar. Zuffa’s Paramount agreement began with a slate of 12 cards and plans to grow from there. Consistent appearances have value in that setup.
White may pursue both. Benavidez gives him an active route toward Opetaia, with real danger attached. Tank gives him a potentially enormous Shakur fight. Before paying for Tank’s name, Zuffa would need to know when he intends to use it.
About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
Boxing
Roy Jones Jr Declares New KO Artist the Next Canelo: Fans Eager for Fight
Published
10 hours agoon
September 23, 2026
Roy Jones Jr has named one fighter as the “new Canelo” and, by extension, considers them to be the ‘face of boxing’.
Some might argue that Canelo Alvarez remains boxing’s biggest commercial star but, with the 36-year-old approaching retirement, the sport is surely crying out for another mainstream attraction to take his place.
It is also unusual for the four-division world champion that, by the end of this year, he will not have fought on Cinco de Mayo or Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Instead, occupying the latter date earlier this month was Ryan Garciawho retained his WBC world title with a second-round stoppage of Conor Benn, taking his record to 21 knockouts from 26 victories, with just two defeats.
In doing so, the 28-year-old has kept himself in the mix for unification matches with Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney but, until such fights materialise, he seems eager to remain active and defend his welterweight belt.
As far as a next opponent goes, Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz has been mentioned as a possible option following his emphatic sixth-round knockout of Nestor Bravo last weekendand it seems that pound-for-pound legend Jones would enjoy that clash.
That is because Jones has told All The Smoke Boxing that Garcia-Cruz is a stylistically similar matchup to Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier.
“Ryan is the new Canelo – everybody wants to see Ryan.
“[Cruz] has the style – the perfect style – that you want to see against Ryan. Ryan’s a classic boxer-puncher; Pitbull is a brawler-puncher. That’s Ali and Frazier, almost.
“Who would not, on planet Earth, want to see that fight?”
“Ryan is the new Canelo!”
Roy makes the case for Pitbull Cruz vs Ryan Garcia being one of the most exciting fights to make in boxing 🎟️👊 pic.twitter.com/PWVwO68sTj
— ALL THE SMOKE Boxing (@atsboxing) September 22, 2026
While Cruz is, indeed, a tenacious brawler-puncher, the 5ft 4in super-lightweight would be contending with a glaring size disadvantage if he moves up to 147lbs and faces Garcia.
Boxing
Heavyweight Brothers Aim to Dominate Boxing Like the Klitschkos
Published
10 hours agoon
September 23, 2026
A pair of German prospects hope to follow in the footsteps of Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, who became the first brothers to simultaneously reign as world heavyweight champions.
The two highly-decorated Ukrainians achieved this feat between 2008 and 2013, after Vitali reclaimed his WBC title by dethroning Samuel Peter with an eighth-round finish.
‘Dr. Ironfist’ would then retire from the sport and pursue his political career, while Wladimir became the longest-reigning world heavyweight champion in history before losing to Tyson Fury in 2015.
While holding all four major titles between them, though, the Klitschko brothers established themselves as a dominant force and became mainstream celebrities in Germany.
Since then, the German boxing scene has struggled to generate such widespread attention but, now, over a decade later, Ismet Ademi (24) and Endrit Ademi (21) are bidding to emulate the Klitschko duo.
With seven national titles between them, the pair turned professional earlier this year and caught the eye of several promoters in the UK and US.
It can now be revealed, however, that the Ademi brothers have inked multi-year deals with Ringside Zone, who considers itself the leading boxing promotional outfit in Germany.
With Ismet returning to action on October 10, the 1-0 (1 KO) prospect explained that he and younger brother Endrit, 2-0 (2 KOs), would rather establish themselves on home soil than chase opportunities overseas.
“My brother and I had massive offers from abroad, but Germany is our home and this is where we want to build our legacy.
“Ringside Zone has already shown they can put German fighters in world title fights, and that mattered to us. We made a promise to each other years ago that we would become world champions together – signing here is another step toward keeping it.”
With lofty plans for the future, the Ademi brothers make for intriguing additions to the heavyweight scene as they aim to eventually reach world level and reach the heights that the Klitschko brothers once did.
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