Famed Promoter and Chairman of Matchroom Promotions has just wrapped up a sensational card at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio's westside. A card that saw Alamo City's favorite son Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez scored a lopsided unanimous decision to become the 210s first-ever two-division world champion. Cards in the Lone Star State have gone quite well for Hearn, including breaking the all-time attendance record back in May 2021, when his countryman, Billy Joe Saunders, was stopped in eight one-sided rounds by Canelo Alvarez to unify three-quarters of the super middleweight gold at AT&T Stadium in front of 73,126 fans. The British promoter has enjoyed his time, and his business has thrived in Texas. He is now considering bringing his prized welterweight, undefeated Conor Benn, to Texas as well.
Benn has not fought since he failed a PED test and showed traces of clomifene in October of 2022 prior to fighting Chris Eubank Jr. Benn was removed from WBC welterweight rankings, a title currently held by Desoto's Errol Spence. Benn has, as of April, been reinserted into the sanctioning bodies' world rankings. The World Boxing Council has now accepted his argument explaining that he returned positive drug tests, which were conducted between July and September, due to high egg consumption. Benn currently sits at the six-spot in their rankings.
However, this is where things get interesting for Benn, who has not cooperated with the BBBofC, which is responsible for licensing British boxers, their equivalent to the TDLR in Texas. Benn voluntarily relinquished his British boxing license and allegedly intends to sue the BBBofC, and his tests were mishandled. Meaning, currently, he is without a British Boxing License. He can however, apply for a license to fight in the US. Commissions in Nevada, New York, and California have all expressed they will not license Benn to box. That leaves only one of the "major commissions" in the US for the undefeated welterweight. Hearn spoke favorably of the Texas Commission. When asked if he would bring his prized welterweight to the Lone Star State, the promoter emphatically answered, "Yea, absolutely. Texas, for me is one of the best commissions in the boxing world and definitely in America." He noted that he had worked here many times, including twice with Canelo. Hearn went onto say of the Texas Commission, "They've been fair, but they've been strict." He added, when looking for a license for Benn, Texas, "Would be a credible commission to apply."