‘We Told Him to Take It’ – Hearn Pushed for Crocker – Benn – Shares Strange Reason Benn Said No

Eddie Hearn was pushing for Conor Benn to fight Lewis Crocker before the promoter and the English boxer’s high-profile promotional split.

The son of former world champion and British fight legend, Nigel Benn shocked boxing when he left Matchroom for Dana White’s new venture, Zuffa Boxing, under whose banner he will fight Regis Prograis for a massive £15 million.

Before the move Ireland’s only reigning male world champion, Crocker was linked to a and pushing for a Benn bout. Essex fight maker, Hearn, revealed he was doing the same behind the scenes.

The Matchroom boss believed a fight with the Belfast world title holder was the ‘natural’ fight to make and the fight he wanted to make next.

However, Benn wasn’t keen and signed a one-fight deal with Zuffa.

“Maybe he is just thinking, ‘give me the money, I was skint, I was broke, I’m not going back there,’ which I get,”Hearn surmised when speaking to IFL TV.

“There were three fights I felt he should be taking. The first one, and I know it was a lot less than £15 million to fight Regis Prograis, but I just felt he should have fought Lewis Crocker.

“That was such a natural fight to make, we told him to take it, and he just said,’ i don’t like Billy Nelson’. I get it, Conor is a massive star. Sometimes they think those fights are a little bit beneath them.”

Interesting Crocker split with coach Nelson while the fight was being discussed.

The Holy Trinity graduate will make his first defence against Liam Paro in Australia once he recovers from injury.