Conor Benn Speaks on the Challenges of Making a Keith Thurman Fight
Top welterweight contender Conor “The Destroyer” Benn (21-0, 14KOs) has been campaigning for a big fight against former unified champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (30-1, 22KOs). The target date is quickly approaching, and nothing concrete seems to be happening. Benn is hoping that fight can get made but may have to be for a title eliminator.
Benn’s resume has been stellar over the last two years fighting quality veterans like Sebastian Formella, Samuel Vargas, and Adrian Granados. He stepped it up by taking on former WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri. In his last performance, Benn became the second man to stop Chris Van Heerden in two quick rounds.
It is no surprise that the next target is someone of Thurman’s caliber. The former unified champion came off a two-year hiatus to win a comeback fight against former WBA Regular junior welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
During an interview with Boxing Social, Benn admitted to still wanting the fight but expressed doubt of it happening on July 9.
“I’ll just leave that with the team and sorting the fights. Because at the end of the day, it’s all well in me saying what I want. But, you know it’s what can materialize. It was supposed to be July 9, but it is cutting it pretty close. There’s no world-level fighter going to take a fight on seven or eight week’s notice.”
A PURSE BID COULD BE ORDERED SOON
Benn would explore how the fight can get made and explain how this process could happen. Moreover, he acknowledged that neither promotional company, Matchroom Boxing nor Premier Boxing Champions, would let their respective fighters compete on the opposing network without the fight being ordered and sent to a purse bid.
“People think the fights are as easy to get made as they get made, you know what I mean. But it’s not as simple as one plus one […] it would have to be made as a final eliminator. I can’t see PBC going, ‘oh yeah, we’ll let Thurman on the DAZN show’, and I don’t see my team going, ‘we’ll let him fight on a PBC show’.
“So it would take for a final eliminator to be ordered, which could very well be. And if it is ordered, may the highest purse bidder win.”
With both fighters swapping the third and fourth slot by the WBO and WBA, there is a possibility that one of the organizations could very well order them to fight.
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By: Garrisson Bland
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