Conor Benn will not be permitted to challenge WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley in his next fight. The ruling removes the already slim possibility of Benn accepting Bentley’s public offer.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri told talkSPORT that Benn is unranked and cannot receive a championship opportunity immediately after his second-round knockout loss to Ryan Garcia. Bentley must defend against mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez.
It is one of those rare occasions when a sanctioning body has refused to let a recognizable name jump directly to the front of the queue.
Bentley’s offer always sounded better for him than it did for Benn. Defending against Benn would bring attention, ticket sales and a larger purse. Hernandez brings considerably less money while presenting the danger of a two-time amateur world champion who has earned his position.
Benn’s side had little reason to accept Bentley’s invitation. Moving from welterweight to middleweight after being knocked out by Ryan would be a wild gamble, especially against a reigning champion with genuine power. A WBO belt carries value, but not enough to justify taking that chance when a far richer domestic option remains available.
Chris Eubank Jr. is the obvious target. He is 37, has a famous father and has already shared two lucrative British events with Benn. Their rivalry is familiar to casual audiences, requires little promotional explanation and offers substantially more money than a Bentley fight.
That makes Eubank the financial choice even without a championship attached. Benn and his financial backers are in the business of selling major events, not collecting the most dangerous belt available at the lowest return.
The WBO ruling therefore closes a door Benn was unlikely to enter. Bentley loses the possibility of converting Benn’s popularity into a profitable title defense and must deal with Yoenli instead.
Benn can return to the British rivalry that pays better, while Bentley faces the mandatory challenger the title requires. For once, the sporting order survived contact with boxing’s financial interests.
