“We’ve Got to Think About It”: Eddie Hearn’s Salesman Tactics Emerge as He Downplays Conor Benn’s Loss and Seeks Better Terms for the Chris Eubank Jr. Rematch

Promoter Eddie Hearn was in damage control mode, mentioning his fighter Conor Benn’s size disadvantage after his loss to Chris Eubank Jr. at middleweight last Saturday. Hearn made Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) out like that was the primary reason he got beaten.

Hearn said that if there is a rematch, Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) should come down in weight. However, the rematch terms have already been written in the contract. His talking about that is another strategy to save and keep Benn’s reputation where it was before his loss.

Salesman Hearn

“His Excellency has already announced September back at Spurs. We have an agreement for that second fight. We’ve got to think about it,” said Eddie Hearn to Sky Sports Boxing, about him not being sure he wants Conor Benn to take the rematch with Chris Eubank Jr. after losing to him last Saturday night.

Hearn sounds like he’s trying to get a better deal for Benn in the rematch with Eubank Jr. This whole, ‘We’ve got to think about it” comes across as salesman tactics 101, trying to weasel a better deal for Conor. At the post-fight press conference last Saturday, Hearn said Eubank Jr. should come down in weight for the rematch with Benn. It wasn’t enough that Eubank Jr. looked totally drained trying to make the 160-lb limit and then the 10-lb rehydration clause to stay within the 170-lb limit.

“Conor is saying, ‘I want revenge,’ and it’s the biggest fight. It’s massive, but you don’t want too many fights like that,” said Hearn. “We’re giving away advantages up here at 160. He’s coming up two divisions. Nobody said pre-fight, ‘Is it safe for Conor?’ No, everyone was worried about Eubank,” Hearn continued.

Eubank Jr. is the one who is having trouble making 160 at his age. He’s not exactly a spring chicken at 35, and it’s obvious that he’s too old to be fighting at middleweight. He needs to move up to 168.

Ignoring Eubank

“Eubank was fine. He messed up the weight because he was unprofessional,” said Hearn. “The hydration was fine for him, and he went 12 hard rounds in there tonight. Don’t worry about him. I worry about my man, and I know Conor Benn can win world titles in divisions below 160.

“He can sell out any arena in the country. He’s not only one of the biggest boxing stars in Britain, but also one of the biggest sports stars in Britain. The story and everything. So, he has a long career ahead of him, but I also understand the British public and I know they’re going to want to see #2,” said Hearn.

Notice the attitude from Hearn? He’s not thinking about Eubank Jr. looking half dead at the weigh-in, draining himself to a skeleton, and then struggling to beat a mediocre welterweight that he would have dominated if he’d been at 100% full strength.

I don’t buy this bit from Hearn about Benn being capable of winning “world titles in divisions below 160.” If he really believed that, Conor would have already fought for world titles at 147 and 154. The reality is, if Hearn stuck him in with the likes of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, Brian Norman Jr., or Bakhram Murtazaliev, they’d blow him out of the water, and the jig would be up. Benn wouldn’t have an excuse for losing to them like he did against middleweight Eubank Jr.