Chris Eubank Jr.’s promoter, Kalle Sauerland of Wasserman Boxing, has swiftly put an end to the reports detailing that his fighter would be facing Conor Benn in December, in Saudi Arabia. Although Benn’s promoter, Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn, has expressed his desire to stage a fight between the two since last year and nearly managed to do so before the eventual collapse of the fight in October 2022, Sauerland disputes the reports that a deal between the two fighters has been reached.
For the past year, Eddie Hearn has clearly indicated an interest in restaging the canceled fight between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn multiple times. According to his own words, he has hinted at the possibility of this British match-up taking place in the Middle East, and this seemed to come to fruitition when the UK’s Daily Mail reported on October 11th that a deal had been reached between both fighters to fight in Abu Dhabi.
The Daily Mail stated, “Eddie Hearn has agreed to a deal for Conor Benn to fight Chris Eubank Jr. in the Middle East on December 23 in the event that Benn is not cleared to box in Britain.”
Eddie Hearn has yet to confirm this news himself. Kalle Sauerland was approached on the same day regarding this matter and revealed that no deal had yet been reached between the two fighters.
“I think it’s an option we are looking at from our side; they’re looking at it from their side,” Sauerland told Boxing Social when questioned about whether the fight would actually occur.
“[But] it’s not done yet. I think the way it has been reported has been a little bit twisted, but you know, Eddie likes to put out feelers, and he’s not wrong.
“It’s a massive fight, but at the same time, we haven’t finalized a deal with Abu Dhabi yet. It’s a discussion that’s taking place, but at the same time, Eubank has options, and Benn has options.“
Both Hearn’s and Sauerland’s promotions are tied together through the DAZN network, and both promoters have regularly worked together on joint projects to stage fights. As Sauerland maintains close contact with Hearn through their DAZN parternship, it is unlikely that he is wrong about the reports that indicate a deal between Benn and Eubank has already been reached.
It should also be noted that Benn’s career is dependent on UKAD’s appeal against the NADP’s decision to clear Conor Benn of intentional doping, which the Daily Mail believes will be resolved or addressed in December or January.
If the NADP’s decision is overturned, there is a legitimate chance Conor Benn might not even fight Eubank Jr., or anyone else. However, this scenario relies on the UKAD’s appeal being successful and them subsequently initiating the means to see Benn banned from fighting in and outside the UK for a predetermined amount of time. In the case of the latter, that very much depends on the extent of the UKAD’s jurisdiction if they manage to ban Benn from British boxing.
In any case, Sauerland has refuted the reports indicating that a deal has been reached, and Hearn’s own comments on this matter will be highly anticipated this week to clarify the Daily Mail’s report.
