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As of now, it appears that Manny Pacquiao is the frontrunner to face Conor Benn next.
'The Destroyer' is currently preparing for his comeback to the ring after dealing with a doping scandal. Last October, just days out from his matchup with Chris Eubank Jr., Benn tested positive for Clomifene. The bout was canceled, but the Brit proclaimed his innocence for months.
Last month, the wait paid off as the welterweight contender was cleared by the WBC. However, Benn still hasn't been cleared by the British Boxing Board of Control, but he doesn't seem to mind. He's recently stated that he would give up his British boxing license and fight elsewhere.
That elsewhere might end up being Abu Dhabi. Manny Pacquiao's management has recently revealed that 'PacMan' is down to face Benn and end his retirement. The legend famously retired after a decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021 but is ready to get back in the ring.
In a recent interview with FightHubTV, Conor Benn's promoter, Eddie Hearn, gave an update on talks between the two sides. He stated
“It’s ready to go. It’s ready to go. We’ve got a couple of site offers. It’s whether we select that fight out of the three... Manny Pacquiao wants the fight badly."
See his comments in the video below:
Who else could Conor Benn face in his return?
As Eddie Hearn noted, Conor Benn does have two other options for his return.
One of those is Chris Eubank Jr. 'Next Gen' is coming off his fight against Liam Smith earlier this year, with 'Beefy' scoring an upset knockout win. Following the defeat, Eubank Jr. stated that he would likely activate his rematch clause to face the Brit again.
However, that was before 'The Destroyer' was cleared by the WBC. Since then, Benn and Eubank Jr. have continued to go back and forth on social media, with the latter stating his rival is a drug cheat. It's worth noting that the two were set to clash last October before the positive tests.
Lastly, there's Kell Brook. The former champion retired after a knockout win over Amir Khan last year. At the time, there was talk of the winner of the matchup facing Benn, but that went out the window with his retirement.
However, 'Special K' has since teased that he could return for one more fight against Conor Benn. Trash talk has already started between the two over a leaked sparring session.
