Barry Hearn shocked by ‘outrageous’ Conor Benn departure

Barry Hearn has slammed Conor Benn as “classless” for the manner of his departure from Matchroom Sport.

As founder and president of the boxing promotor, which has represented Benn since he turned professional, Hearn feels slighted by his decision to join Dana White’s Saudi-backed Zuffa company.

Hearn claims Benn, who avenged defeat to rival Chris Eubank Jr with victory in a huge rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November, relayed news of the switch through his legal representatives.

Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom, described the move as a “dagger in the heart” and his father views it as the bitterest exit he has experienced.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Barry Hearn said: “This wasn’t the average relationship with a contracted boxer, this was special. Conor was as close as he could have been to being part of the family.

“When Eddie suggested to him by text that they meet to discuss it, Conor suggested it’s best to go through lawyers and after 10 years of what we’ve gone through with him, I think in my 50-odd years of promoting sport, this is the most horrible, outrageous… I can’t describe the feeling of when you’ve been let down.

“I suppose it’s a bit like you’ve been married for 10 years and your wife walks out and you think, why? I didn’t think he was that type of boy. It’s a classless way of doing it when you’ve got an open relationship.

“With the last Eubank fight, we couldn’t have been in a better position. It’s sad to think that Conor went off to America just to solicit offers and got a huge one. But you don’t disband a team and even if you do, you don’t do it by text or by lawyers.”