LONDON — British boxer Conor Benn has been designated the No. 1 challenger in the WBC welterweight rankings, moving up three spots and surpassing Manny Pacquiao.
The 29-year-old Londoner is now mandatory for a shot at the WBC world title held by Mario Barrios.
Benn, who recently defeated Chris Eubank Jr. in a 12-round rematch at middleweight, said he will return to welterweight (147 lbs) to pursue the championship.
“I’ll be watching Barrios vs. Garcia closely. I want the winner early next year. I’ll be coming for that belt and Britain will have a new world champion,” Benn said on social media.
Barrios, who retained his belt with a majority draw against 46-year-old Pacquiao in July, is scheduled to fight Ryan Garcia in February. Benn is positioning himself to challenge the winner.
Benn follows in the footsteps of his father, Nigel Benn, a former WBC super middleweight champion in the 1990s.
