Eddie Hearn has revealed a possible alternative option for Conor Benn outside of the winner of next month’s clash between Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia.
Barrios defends his WBC welterweight world title against Garcia on February 21 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Benn mandatory challenger for the victor.
However, Hearn says the 29-year-old could face WBA welterweight titlist, Rolly Romero first.
Romero dropped Garcia on route to a points victory at Times Square in May.
Hearn concedes there is one major stumbling block to a potential Romero-Benn fight.
Unbeaten Uzbek, Shakhram Giyasov, also promoted by Hearn’s Matchroom, has been waiting patiently for his shot.
The 32-year-old even stepped aside to allow then-WBA titlist, Eimantas Stanionis to unify with Jaron Ennis – who held the IBF crown at the time – in April and the WBA has ordered Romero to face him next with no exceptions.
“Rolly Romero has to fight Shakrham Giyasov,” Hearn told IFLTV.
“Ordered. No escape.
“We would have to find a solution for that.
“Conor’s got a tough decision, because Ryan Garcia is fighting Barrios on February 21st.
“He wants to fight the winner.
“There’s rumours that the winner of that fight could fight the winner of Shakur [Stevenson] and Teofimo [Lopez].
“For Conor, the Ryan Garcia fight is bigger than the Rolly Romero fight, but the Rolly Romero fight in the UK for the world championship is also a very big fight.
“And you go out and beat Rolly Romero, you have a unification with Ryan Garcia.
“You make more money, you’re trying to unify the division.”
Benn is coming off a career-best victory over Chris Eubank Jr in November, flooring his rival twice on route to a dominant unanimous decision victory in their rematch.
‘The Destroyer’ avenged his thrilling defeat to Eubank Jr in their first outing in April and recently stated his primary target is the winner of Barrios vs Garcia, a bout he plans to be ringside for.
“Listen, I said I would be WBC champion, it was always the dream, so to be within touching distance and be made mandatory for the WBC world title, I’ll be there ringside and I want the winner,” Benn told Sky Sports.
“No doubt it will be Garcia. Garcia vs Benn – I like the sound of that.”
