Benn won a tougher-than-expected unanimous decision over the 37-year-old former 140-lb world champion, Prograis, the former champion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Hearn suggested the fight exposed limitations at the weight.
“Regis could hardly stand up. He ended up being forced into a fight he shouldn’t have been in, and Conor will be disappointed that he didn’t stop him,” said Hearn to Pro Boxing Fans about the injured Prograis in his loss to Benn.
“I actually like Conor up in the weights a little bit. I’m not sure about him down there,” said Hearn about Benn fighting at 150. “He looked like he didn’t have any power. I thought he looked a lot more stronger and full of with a lot more energy at 160.
The top tier of the welterweight division has five talented fighters who could be a problem for Benn. Based on that showing, putting Benn in with the likes of Jaron Ennis or even the rugged contenders at the bottom of the top 15 at 154 would be a tremendous step up. The aura is gone, and Hearn’s reaction suggests he already knows it.
“Is it, yeah. I’m sure it was a one-fight deal,” said a smiling Hearn, reacting to the interviewer saying, “Apparently, his [Benn] one-fight deal [with Zuffa] is over.”
Hearn’s smile about the Zuffa deal being up feels like a man who is happy to let someone else handle the headache. There is a massive difference between a fighter who is an asset and one who is an expensive liability.
His comment about Benn’s lack of power at the lower weight is the biggest indicator of trouble.
If the return on investment isn’t there because the performance was awful, the promotional enthusiasm vanishes instantly.
Benn admitted he had to drop significant weight for the 150lb catchweight. If he looked drained and weak against a smaller Prograis, Zuffa likely suspects he will fall apart by elite 154lb fighters like Jaron Ennis or Sebastian Fundora.
Zuffa and Dana White focus on punchers. Benn’s inability to stop a stationary, injured veteran suggests he may have reached his ceiling, making him a bad buy for a brand that thrives on dominance.
While insiders like Ariel Helwani suggested the one-fight deal was the start of something longer, Hearn’s dismissive “I’m sure it was a one-fight deal” sounded like someone who expects it to end there.
If Zuffa wants Benn back, it probably comes at a lower number. After a $15 million purse, that’s a hard reset, and not one every team agrees to.
Benn has already called out Ryan Garcia for September, but that kind of fight needs backing. If Zuffa isn’t sold, it either moves to another platform or doesn’t get made.
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