Conor Benn’s welterweight world title dream ended in brutal fashion, but a fellow British champion is already offering him a route back and a storyline with real emotional weight attached.
WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley has extended an immediate title shot to Benn following his second-round stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena.
Although the public might not think he deserves another world title shot in my eyes I feel like his profile is big enough for him to skip the queue,” Bentley told Sky Sports.
It’s unfair but that’s the sport we’re in. Obviously it’s beneficial for me, especially financially, so 100 per cent that’s the fight I would take.
Bentley said the boxer should focus on recovering and getting fully fit before returning to boxing, noting that the weight cut likely took a lot out of him.
Firstly, he needs to get himself right, well and fit,” Bentley said. “I think he should take a lot of time off and recover. I don’t think there’s any rush for him to get back into a boxing ring or even a gym. That weight cut was a fight in itself for him, I think. Probably took a lot out of himself.
He added that if the boxer eventually moves up to 160 pounds, he could be better fueled and perform better at the higher weight. However, Bentley also believes there were flaws in his performance that night that he could exploit, given his own punching power.
Once he’s well and fit, if he decides to move up to 160lbs and he does want the challenge, I think that’s probably a conversation we can probably have ourselves: ‘If you want to do this, let’s push for it.'
I think he will be a lot better with the extra weight.
I think at 160lbs he’ll be a lot more fuelled. But, listen, I punch as well and there were a lot of flaws in his game that night that I could exploit.
Bentley’s own next fight remains unsettled, with the WBO having ordered him to face mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez, though no deal has been reached.
