On Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Conor Benn gave a live demonstration of what $15 million buys you in today’s market.
But it wasn’t a lot.
The trademark violence that had epitomized some of Benn’s better performances was absent in his co-feature bout on the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov card, which broadcasted live on Netflix. His power wasn’t too big of an issue for former champion Regis Prograis, even with the 37-year-old Prograis entering the ring past his prime and possibly injured, but still with enough left in the tank to take the Brit to the scorecards.
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Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) won a unanimous decision with three identical scores of 98-92 in his favor.
But with that performance, and at the amount it reportedly cost Zuffa through Turki Alalshikh to pry Benn from Matchroom’s promotional stable on a reported one-fight deal worth $15 million, executives like Dana White may have buyer’s remorse.
Prograis (30-4, 24 KOs) wasn’t picked to give Benn problems. The match was made to make Zuffa’s boxer appear as if a terrifying puncher had arrived in the welterweight division, with a hopeful knockout win over a battle-tested veteran. If Prograis were considered a more dangerous opponent for Benn, White likely wouldn’t have mispronounced Prograis’ name during promotional footage on Friday. Reacting on Instagram, boxing rival Oscar de la Hoya couldn’t help but laugh.
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Yet Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn could be seen yawning at ringside in the middle of Benn’s fight, and Alalshikh made a hasty exit midway through, perhaps back to Tyson Fury’s locker room as “The Gypsy King” prepared for his headline fight against Makhmudov.
No matter how one reads it, the optics were bad.
There was some good to Benn’s work, though. He was authoritative with his jab, and boxed sprightly on his feet against a relatively sturdy Prograis, who tried to hold his ground despite an intensity of pressure firing his way.
Prograis popped Benn with good shots of his own, like a short-range jab from southpaw position — peppering his face with the punch, focusing particularly on the left eye and brow. Benn’s knee flirted with the canvas toward the end of the opening round but Benn, with a well-timed left-right, buckled Prograis’ knees before the bell.
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In the ensuing rounds, Benn forced early pressure on Prograis but missed with many of his shots. Showing damage to the face, and more sluggish with his shots, Prograis labored through the fight while Benn continued to outland him at a clip of two to one by the third round. But then Prograis cut Benn with a head-butt in the fourth frame, and though accidental, it proved to be a moment that likely buoyed the visiting Prograis.
If there is any issue with Prograis’ leg, it gave credence to pre-fight speculation that he carried injuries with him to the ring. Benn’s former promoter Hearn escalated the rumor in the lead-up when he said the boxer was “badly injured” and that everyone knew it.
Another pre-fight narrative focused on Benn’s physique, as he dropped to a 150-pound catchweight for Saturday’s bout after back-to-back fights with British rival Chris Eubank Jr. at middleweight (160 pounds), and faced questions whether he’d be better or worse for it. In the end, Benn certainly didn’t look as powerful or explosive as he’s been in past performances, even if it was he who appeared the near-constant aggressor.
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Whether Benn has lost his power temporarily or permanently remains to be seen, but what is clear is that Prograis lost the fight yet may have won the night, cutting Benn around both eyes even in defeat, despite an eight-year gap in age and possible injuries.
By contrast, Benn got the win, but at what cost?
Because, at his price, Zuffa might now be wondering what exactly they bought.
For full coverage of Fury vs. Makhmudov, check out Uncrowned’s fight night hub.
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