Benn won a tougher-than-expected unanimous decision over 37-year-old former 140lb world champion Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Hearn suggested the fight exposed limitations at the weight.
“Regis could barely get up. He ended up being forced into a fight he shouldn’t have been in, and Conor will be disappointed he didn’t stop him,” Hearn told Pro Boxing Fans of the injured Prograis in his loss to Benn.
“I actually like Conor a little bit up in the weights. I’m not sure about him down there,” Hearn said of Benn fighting at 150. “He looked like he had no power. I thought he looked a lot stronger and full of a lot more energy at 160.
The top tier of the welterweight division has five talented fighters who could be a problem for Benn. Based on that performance, it would be a huge step up to put Benn alongside the likes of Jaron Ennis or even the tough contenders at the bottom of the top-15 at 154. The aura is gone, and Hearn’s reaction suggests he already knows it.
“Is it, yes. I’m sure it was a one-fight deal,” said a smiling Hearn, in response to the interviewer saying, “Apparently his (Benn’s) one-fight deal (with Zuffa) is over.”
Hearn’s smile about the Zuffa deal being up feels like a man happy to let someone else handle the headache. There is a massive difference between a fighter who is an asset and one who is an expensive liability.
His comment about Benn’s lack of power at the lower weight is the biggest indicator of trouble.
If the return on investment isn’t there because the performance was awful, the promotional enthusiasm immediately dissipates.
Benn admitted he had to lose significant weight for the 150lb catch weight. If he looked drained and weak against a smaller Prograis, Zuffa probably suspects he will be taken apart by elite 154lb fighters like Jaron Ennis or Sebastian Fundora.
Zuffa and Dana White focus on punchers. Benn’s inability to stop a stagnant, injured veteran suggests he may have reached his ceiling, making him a bad buy for a brand that thrives on dominance.
While insiders like Ariel Helwani suggested the one-fight deal was the start of something longer, Hearn’s dismissive “I’m sure it was a one-fight deal” sounded like someone expecting it to end there.
If Zuffa wants Benn back, it probably comes at a lower number. After a $15 million purse, that’s a harsh reset, and not one that every team agrees to.
Benn already called out Ryan Garcia for September, but that kind of fight needs support. If Zuffa doesn’t sell, it either moves to another platform or isn’t made.
