Ben Shalom provides an update on the potential matchup between Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn, as well as Eubank Jnr vs. Another fight between Erislandy Lara.
A fight between Eubank Jnr and Benn had seemed likely since signing in 2022, but the fight was called off days before Benn tested positive for the banned substance Clomiphene.
Talks have intensified following Eubank Jnr’s head-to-head clash in Riyadh’s last game against Kamil Szeremeta.
Eubank Jnr promoter Shalom and Benn promoter Eddie Hearn met at the annual WBC convention in Hamburg, Germany.
“It’s mainly about the Eubank-Benn fight,” Shalom told BoxingScene. “We talked about other things, but I think it’s normal. We need – him representing Connor [Benn]we represent Chris [Eubank Jnr]we just discussed this. ”
Shalom and Hearn’s relationship appears to be increasingly tense, including over disagreements over match bonus bids between Adam Azim and Dalton Smith, and Fabio Wardley and Fraser Clark .
When Shalom was asked how their relationship is these days, he responded: “I think it’s good.
“I mean, to be honest, I never really had any relationship. Obviously, there was back and forth, trash, trash in the interview, but the reality is, you don’t know the guy — we haven’t met.
“Did he try to do that, or did he make things difficult for us? Of course he did, but sometimes you get to a point where you can’t be ignored anymore and there are big fights, but it’s never personal. Are we best friends? No, can we work together? And are we related? Absolutely not.
Shalom then provided an update on the progress of the Eubank-Benn negotiations, revealing that Eubank would challenge WBA middleweight champion Lara in March if talks fall apart.
“There’s a lot of gameplay and a lot of stuff going back and forth,” Shalom said. “That’s it. I think it’s the right fight for both of them.
“Whether that happens will depend on whether both sides are wise and I’m hopeful about that. I think there are some experienced minds on both sides, so, yeah, I want to see that fight. If not, we want to see Law Pull is fighting for Eubank Jr., so I guess we’ll see how that plays out in the next week or so.
“The fight between Eubank and Benn as a promoter is huge. There aren’t many events that can get out of boxing, out of the sport and really into all areas of life. Britain is that big and I certainly want to do that , but at the same time, every boxer’s dream is to fight for a world title, and when you make as much money as Chris, you’re not so eager to have long nights; big paydays; sometimes it Become more about legacy.
“so [the Lara fight] – It was a very attractive option for him and ultimately we would do whatever he wanted us to do. But he’s the boss and we’ll make sure we give him whatever he wants. ”
Shalom also revealed that talks had been held with Riyadh Season over Eubank Jnr-Benn, but all parties agreed that the game must be held in the UK.
One potential obstacle is that both fighters are competing for world titles that they are confident of winning. Eubank hopes to defeat Lara, while Ben is interested in challenging WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
“Conor has been out of the ring for a long time,” Shalom said. “But Barrios isn’t the best world champion we’ve ever seen – but I don’t think [Benn] Not yet or already at that level.
“Chris, I know they were desperate for him not to get into the Laura fight, but I think Chris beat Laura and I think we’ve been looking at the Laura fight for a long time and hopefully it’s close.”
