Boxing
Eddie Hearn suggests Benn may miss second fight with Zuffa
Published
1 month agoon
Benn won a tougher-than-expected unanimous decision over 37-year-old former 140-pound world champion Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Hearn suggested the fight exposed the limitations of the weight.
“Regis could barely get up. He ended up being forced into a fight he shouldn’t have been in, and Conor will be disappointed he didn’t stop him,” Hearn told professional boxing fans of the injured Prograis after the loss to Benn.
“I actually kind of like Conor at heavyweight. I’m not sure what’s going on with him down there,” Hearn said of Ben fighting at 150. “He looked like he had no power at all. I thought he looked a lot stronger and full of energy at 160.”
The top tier of the welterweight division features five talented fighters who could pose a problem for Benn. Based on these results, placing Benn alongside the likes of Jaron Ennis and even bottom-15 powerhouses at 154 would be a huge step forward. The aura is gone, and Hearn’s reaction suggests he already knows it.
“Is that so? I’m sure it was a one-fight deal,” said a smiling Hearn, reacting to the interviewer’s words: “Apparently his [Benn] one fight contract [with Zuffa] is over.”
Hearn’s smile at the thought of the upcoming Zuffa deal is like that of a man who is cheerful to let someone else take care of his headache. There is a huge difference between a player who is an asset and a player who is an exorbitant liability.
His comment about Benn’s lack of power at the lower weight is the biggest sign of trouble.
If the investment fails to produce a return due to destitute performance, the promotional enthusiasm immediately disappears.
Benn admitted that he had to lose significant weight to get to a catchweight of 150 pounds. If he looked exhausted and tender against the smaller Prograis, Zuffa probably suspects he’ll fall apart against elite 154-pounders like Jaron Ennis and Sebastian Fundora.
Zuffa and Dana White focus on punches. Benn’s inability to stop the stationary, injured veteran suggests he may have reached his ceiling, making him a bad buy for a franchise that relies on dominance.
While pundits like Ariel Helwani suggested the one-fight contract was the start of something longer, Hearn’s dismissive statement, “I’m sure it was a one-fight contract,” sounded like someone who expected it to end there.
If Zuffa wants Benn back, it will probably cost less. After a $15 million purse, this is a demanding reset that not every team agrees to.
Benn has already called up Ryan Garcia for September, but this type of fight requires support. If Zuffa is not sold, it will either be moved to another platform or not manufactured.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
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Boxing
O’Shaquie Foster says Richardson Hitchins is ‘scary as hell’
Published
1 hour agoon
May 13, 2026
O’Shaquie Foster took his feud with Richardson Hitchins to another level this week, accusing the former IBF junior welterweight champion of being afraid of sparring and questioning his durability during a lengthy interview ahead of Foster’s May 30 title defense against Raymond Ford.
Foster slammed Hitchins, claiming that people in boxing have been questioning Hitchins’ mentality for years.
“Hitchins is scary as hell. I knew it. That’s what they say in boxing,” Foster said on Sean Zittel’s YouTube page. “They must have pumped him up with some sparring sessions. He knew what I was talking about. They had to put a wrench in his back so he could go to sparring and so on.”
Foster then mentioned that Hitchins was withdrawing from his scheduled fight against Oscar Duarte on the day of the competition in February.
“He has heart problems. It’s not a physical heart problem. He just doesn’t have a heart. See what he did to Duarte? Why am I worried about Hitchins? He’s so terrible,” Foster said.
Hitchins later responded to Foster’s X with a miniature response of his own.
“I’ve got a lot more heart than that alien pussy in my ass, nigga.”
The latest exchange comes just hours after Foster mocked Hitchins over his Olympic path and his past ties to Subriel Matias.
Foster blamed Hitchins for not making the U.S. Olympic team before he later represented Haiti at the 2016 Olympics. Hitchins previously lost out on U.S. selection to Gary Antuanne Russell before qualifying for international play in Haiti via Olympic qualifying.
This exchange added unexpected warmth to an otherwise serene week in boxing, especially since both fighters weren’t even fighting in the same division. Foster is the 130-pound world champion, and Hitchins recently won the 140-pound belt.
Still, both fighters come from the Recent York boxing scene, know each other’s amateur history, and now seem fully committed to turning their social media spats into something much more personal.

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 crucial fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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Last update: 2026/05/13 at 22:39
Boxing
Naoya Inoue offered an immediate title fight in a fresh weight class: “I’m already ready”
Published
3 hours agoon
May 13, 2026
Naoya Inoue recently cemented his status as one of, if not the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world with a win over compatriot Junto Nakatani. The question is, can anyone defeat him before he hangs up his gloves?
The Japanese phenom defended his four super bantamweight belts for the seventh time in a fight against Nakatani at the sold-out Tokyo Domemaintaining his undefeated record in what many considered to be the toughest test of his career to date.
With retirement not too far away, the undisputed two-division champion is looking to tackle one more weight class before it’s time for a Hall of Fame campaign. Ready and willing to fight at 126 pounds is Bruce Carrington from Brooklyn.
I’m talking to ES Newsthe WBC featherweight champion said that watching Nakatani fight only confirmed his belief that he was capable of defeating “The Monster”.
“Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of things that I can’t say here. I’m ready. Inoue is still a spectacular fighter, but I know I have what it takes to beat him. Nakatani is no slouch. I expected a good fight… he did everything he had to do to win.”
“Shu Shu,” who won the vacant title against Carlos Castro in January and will return to the ring to defend it against Rene Palacios in July, then said he would take the fight to Inoue as soon as it was offered to him.
“100%. I’m ready now, I’m ready today, I’m ready tomorrow, I’m ready whenever. Come to the Shu Shu show, baby. I can’t wait to share the ring with you. It’s going to be fireworks.”
Inoue made his plans clear – to fight once again at super bantamweight, most likely against Jesse Rodriguez, and then move up to featherweight, which he said would be the final challenge of his career. Although he did not mention Carrington’s name, the 33-year-old says he wants to take the belt straight away.
As a long-reigning champion and heavyweight star who is gaining more and more importance, sanctioning authorities would likely have no problem approving such a possibility.
However, many fans will believe that “Bam” Rodriguez can thwart these plans. The 26-year-old is expected to move up to bantamweight to fight for Antonio Vargas’ WBA title, with the fight against Inoue taking place in early 2027.
“I think this is the biggest fight in the world, especially in this weight class,” Benavidez said at the post-fight press conference.
“It’s definitely a fight I want. Like I said, I’m not afraid of anyone. This is Monstro’s world and if he wants to get the fight, we’ll get it.”
Opetaia recently lost her IBF cruiserweight title after joining Zuffa Boxing and fighting an unsanctioned fight against Brandon Glanton. Benavidez suggested this move, which immediately complicated negotiations for a future fight.
“I don’t know why he went to Zuffa,” Benavidez said. “We could have had this fight right after this one.”
“I’m not going to go out there and fight for the Zuffa title.”
Benavidez also questioned whether fighters associated with Zuffa would have access to the biggest opportunities in boxing, pointing to Dana White’s history with rival promotional companies.
“I think they’re definitely losing their power,” Benavidez said. “There’s just a lot of politics involved.”
“I think Dana White has shown that he doesn’t want to fight PBC, DAZN.”
The undefeated champion later made it clear that he believed he was in a stronger commercial position compared to Opetaia and suggested that there was no reason for him to choose another promotional organization.
“I’m the one filling these stadiums,” Benavidez said. “I’m the one fighting pay-per-view.”
“Jai Opetaia has never fought on pay-per-view. He has never filled an arena like this.”
Benavidez added that he would still be open to fighting if the two sides manage to reach an agreement outside Zuffa’s structures.
“If they want to come to the table here, we can do that,” Benavidez said. “Let’s get it.”

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 critical fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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