Why Eubank Jr & Benn Earn More Than World Champions

Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are projected to rake in millions for their rematch this Saturday, November 15th, in London.

(Credit: Matthew Pover Matchroom Boxing)

Millionaires Without Titles

Reports indicate that Eubank Jr.’s purse will be around $12.6 million, and Benn’s will be at $10.1 million. Eubank Jr. is getting a 60/40 split of the loot as the A-side for their 12-round middleweight catchweight fight on DAZN PPV. Why are Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn making eight-figure money when neither has beaten a world-class opponent?

World-Level? Not Even Close

It’s hard for fans to understand. Given their meager resumes, these two should be making a fraction of the money they’re getting.

Up until now, Conor’s best career wins have come against these four fighters:

1. Chris Algieri – 37 years old
2. Chris Van Heerden
3. Rodolfo Orozco – 33-5-3 record
4. Adrian Granados – 21-10-3

Those fighters are not world-class-level welterweights, or at least they weren’t when Benn fought them. Algieri is a former WBO light welterweight champion, but he only briefly held that belt in 2014 before being defeated by Manny Pacquiao.

Eubank Jr’s best career wins have come against this lot:

1. Liam Smith – 37
2. James Degale – *Not prime version
3. Liam Williams
4. Arthur Abraham – past his best

The money that Eubank Jr. and Benn are going to make is great, but they’ve done nothing to deserve it. They’ve never won world titles during their respective careers and aren’t projected ever to win one unless they’re maneuvered into the perfect situation against a paper champion or elevated into a belt.

Boxing’s Popularity Economy

What the money reveals is that achievement is secondary, and popularity is the only thing that truly matters in this era of boxing. What happens to their careers after this cash-grab if the fight flops or ends ugly? Can either of them be used for Riyadh Season cards in the future if this fight fails to bring in the same PPV numbers as the first? The Eubank Jr.-Benn event, held earlier this year on April 26, reportedly generated 620,000 buys on DAZN PPV. If Saturday’s event brings in just a trifle, what happens to them?

Eubank Jr. has fought a world-level opponent once in his career, losing to George Groves by a 12-round unanimous decision on February 17, 2018. Since then, he’s fought a mix of domestic and European-level opposition. Would either man even survive at the world level against the division’s elite? I don’t see a positive outcome for Eubank Jr. if he were put in against the world champions at 160 or 168. The same with Benn. Could he compete against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. if he were matched against him right now? It’s doubtful that he could.