So many good Welterweights in the UK and Ireland right now Who's the Best 147'er in the British Isles do you think? I personally think it's a close one out of Paddy Donovan, Jack Catterall, Conah Walker. You'd expect at least one of them to win a world title, probably two. I also think McCormack can come back and do good things, certainly wouldn't rule him out.
Catterall by a mile Might not be the best to watch but the only one that can mix it up at world level imo When I say mix it up I mean actually have a chance against the best in the division
Imagine respecting Benn as a person, the only thing to actually respect about him is that he fights for a living.
I assume Shakur is just trying to make a fight. Doubt he wastes much time thinking about Benn and his life outside the sport. Plus he’s a street guy, remember. They all came from nothing, and externally and aesthetically Benn appeals to a certain type. The flash, the aggression, the name, the whole image. It’s the same register Tate and that lot have been selling to a whole generation, so I can see why someone like Shakur would rate that from a distance. But I doubt he’s sat there doing a deep character study on Conor Benn. I mean why would you? One of them times where “it’s not that deep” actually has meaning.
Seems an odd strategy, though. I'm not sure what the angle is to say a silver-spooned drug cheat is someone you respect as a person. Shakur grew up in a very rough environment, the opposite of Benn, he was surrounded by street people, Benn wasn't. He's well aware of Benn, his rehydration clauses, and his eggs debacle. Benn has tried to crash the party solely because of his Dad's name, without testing himself against legitimate world-level opposition at 147. If Shakur is trying to make a fight with him, it seems like a strange angle to me.
Conor has commercial value way in excess of his actual ability right now. It’s like the SpaceX IPO launch, or half these AI companies about to float then crash and burn. Everyone knows it’s inflated, but they all want in before it goes. That’s why everyone wants the Benn fight. He’s a name, he sells, and as much as he’s the silver spoon kid who grew up in a protective bubble like Hearn, he’s still running Nigel’s operating system at his core. Everything you see in Conor is Nigel, just with his spin on it. Beyond that I don’t disagree with you. Lads like Shakur and Keyshawn have those truth is stranger than fiction backstories, generational trauma layered in and all that. Benn hasn’t lived that life, but from a distance the image still works and he leans into it. Boxing is full of people buying the poster before they read the small print, especially in the social media age.
And never forget past history – Tyson upon his release from prison for **** was bigger than ever, arenas full of celebrities, nobody doing a moral audit. Commercial value doesn't run on the same tracks as character assessment. Never has. This content is protected
