Barry Hearn has shared his reaction to Conor Benn leaving Matchroom to join Dana White and Zuffa Boxing.
The shock news was announced on Friday evening, with Benn leaving Matchroom after 10 years working together, dating back to his professional debut in 2016.
While the boxing side of Matchroom is now controlled by Eddie Hearn, his father Barry still remains a key part of the business, and he has told Talksport that he believes Benn’s departure to link up with White is the most outrageous thing he’s ever seen in sport.
“Unbelievable. Boxers do come and go, but this wasn’t the average relationship with a contracted boxer. Conor Benn was as close as he could have been to being part of the family, and for him to make a decision like this without even a phone call, or even Eddie suggesting by text that they meet to discuss it, Conor suggested it’s best to go through lawyers.
“In 10 years after what we’ve gone through with him, in my 50 odd years of promoting sport, this is the most horrible, outrageous [thing I’ve seen]. I can’t describe the feeling of when you’ve been let down. It’s like when you’ve been married for 10 years and your wife walks out and you think why. Nobody discussed it.
“I didn’t think he was that type of boy, maybe we got it wrong with Conor, we took his side and we believed everything he said and maybe we were wrong. It is personally disappointing because it goes beyond money.”
Hearn also stated he isn’t surprised that White offered Benn the deal, but that the British fighter shouldn’t have gone about it the way he did.
“He’s obviously received a huge offer from Dana White because Dana has got to make waves in boxing. He’s got Turki Alalshikh’s money behind him and needs to sign fighters and needs to pay them really well, which he is doing, but that doesn’t mean to say you disband a team.”
Benn is set to have his first fight under the Zuffa banner in May, in what will be his first outing since defeating long-term rival Chris Eubank Jr back in November.
