Conor Benn is looking to book his next fight soon, but should he choose to fight for a world welterweight title next or take a risky non-title fight vs. Shakur Stevenson?
After getting revenge over rival Chris Eubank Jr on points in a non-title middleweight bout in November, Benn is returning to welterweight and has said he wants a world title fight next.
Benn (24-1, 14 KOs), 29, is ranked No. 1 challenger for the WBC title, held by Mario Barrios who defends the belt vs. Ryan Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 21. Benn has said facing the winner of that clash is top of his wish list.
But Benn has another big fight to consider. He was ringside at Madison Square Garden to see Stevenson's classy points win over Teofimo Lopez for a world junior welterweight title on Saturday and, afterwards, both said they were keen to meet next.
What are Benn's options and chances of securing a world title fight next, and does he need to take on another big challenge against Stevenson instead?
Winner of Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia
Benn has been made mandatory challenger for the WBC title, so is first in line to face the winner of Mario Barrios' title defence against Ryan Garcia on Feb. 21.
This time last year, before Benn vs. Eubank was made, Benn was calling out Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) to fight him -- even posting social media videos in Spanish urging Barrios to fight him next.
"I always wanted the WBC title, that was always the goal, so for me to be close, it's definitely the fight I want next," Benn told Sky Sports.
"I'm mandatory for the winner, I will be ringside to see it [Barrios vs. Garcia] and as long as I get the winner I don't care who it is. Obviously I want Garcia to win, but if the Garcia who fought Rolly [Rolando Romero] turns up, I think Barrios wins. Commercially Garcia is a massive fight, we are two big characters and we will give the fans an entertaining fight. It's got to be here [in England], really."
As WBC No. 1, this is Benn's best chance of a world title shot this year but if Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs), wins the American may prefer another opponent to Benn in a first defence.
Rolando 'Rolly' Romero
If Benn can't secure a shot at the WBC title next, he will shift his focus to WBA welterweight champion Romero (17-2, 13 KOs). However, Romero has an overdue mandatory defence vs. Shakhram Giyasov to attend to, which takes priority. Romero had been in talks about a potential fight with Manny Pacquiao, after he won the WBA belt in a big upset, a unanimous decision win over Garcia in May.
It is not just Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) who is hoping to face Romero next.
Should Garcia beat Barrios, Garcia could then decide to face Romero in a title unification and rematch, which would see Benn squeezed out of challenging for two world title belts until late 2026 at the earliest. Benn is ranked No. 4 with the WBA, his highest ranking with the four world governing bodies other than the WBC.
Lewis Crocker
Despite sharing the same promoter (Matchroom), this would seem like easiest route for Benn to land a world title shot next. But Benn is craving bigger fights than taking on IBF welterweight champion Crocker.
Northern Irishman Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs), 29, has made one defence vs. Paddy Donovan and is due to face Liam Paro (27-1, 16 KOs), of Australia, next in a mandatory defence, so fighting Benn would not be possible until the second half of 2026 anyway. A future fight with Paro is another possibility for Benn, who began boxing while living in Sydney, Australia, as a teenager.
Devin Haney
WBO welterweight champion Haney (33-0, 15 KOs), who unanimously outpointed Brian Norman to become a three-weight world champion in November, would demand a big fee to make a voluntary defence against Benn. Benn may have sparred on social media with Haney, but the American prefers a rematch with Garcia. Haney, 27, has other options than Benn.
Shakur Stevenson
Benn may decide to shelve his ambitions to fight for a world title if a clash with new WBO world junior welterweight champion Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), who cruised to a wide unanimous points decision over Teofimo Lopez in New York on Saturday. Benn even popped up in the ring afterwards to go face-to-face with American Stevenson, to stoke up interest in the two fighting next.
"Conor Benn, we could get it banging," Stevenson said in the ring moments after beating Lopez.
"Sign the contract. Let's make it happen."
Benn replied: "We can do it next. Come up to welterweight with the big dogs. You're a small, little man."
But fighting four-weight world champion Stevenson, 28, would be a bigger challenge for Benn than some of the world welterweight champions next. After the exposure of two high-profile fights in the U.K. vs. Eubank last year, Benn will be involved in a lucrative fight no matter who it is. Does he need to fight someone as good as Stevenson next, when he would have more chance of beating one of the world welterweight champions instead?
Eubank beat Benn in their first fight, and Stevenson's skill set and ring IQ is on a higher level than anyone Benn has faced.
Who else is in the mix to fight Conor Benn?
If Benn does find himself frozen out of a world title fight for his next bout, fighting Lopez might be a safer option for an interim fight.
British rival Jack Catterall (32-2, 14 KOs), a leading contender for Haney's WBO belt, would also be a dangerous fight for Benn in the interim if he has to wait for a title shot later this year. Catterall has shone against elite opposition like Josh Taylor, Jorge Linares and Regis Prograis. The Manchester-based southpaw looked good in a Round 11 stoppage win in November on the same card as Benn's last fight. Catterall is being linked with facing Conah Walker next, but is also promoted by Matchroom like Benn.
A bout against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) seems unlikely, but don't rule it out if Benn struggles to land a fight for the WBC or WBA titles for this summer. There was a lot of speculation last November about Benn facing the 47-year-old, who is long past his best yet still had enough to give Barrios a close fight in a draw in July last year. Rather than fighting each other, Benn and Pacquiao are more likely to compete to land a world title fight next, with Pacquiao also seeking bouts vs. the likes of Romero and even Haney.
Souleymane Cissokho (18-0, 9 KOs), a tricky France-based Senegalese boxer who is No. 2 with the WBC and Olympic bronze medallist in 2016, is probably best avoided as he could thrive on frustrating Benn on the backfoot and counter. He earned a UD over Egidijus Kavaliauskas in May and then withdrew from a rematch (scheduled for December) after he broke his hand in sparring, so is unlikely to face Benn next as a new date for Kavaliauskas takes priority.
But don't expect a trilogy fight with Eubank Jr. (35-4, 25 KOs). Benn produced his best career-performance when his ferocity and intensity saw him drop Eubank Jr. twice in Round 12 in November's unanimous points win. After losing a points decision to Eubank Jr. in April, the score is now 1-1 but Benn has been urging his older rival to retire after seeing the pictures of his hospital treatment. Eubank Jr., 36, has not confirmed what he was being treated for, and his promoter Ben Shalom said he expects him to return at super-middleweight, three divisions above welterweight.