Conor Benn would “take a world title” challenge next if the son of the British boxing legend Nigel Benn comes through South African Chris van Heerden in the headline fight in Manchester tonight, though his promoter Eddie Hearn is steering the young unbeaten welterweight tyro towards an all-British clash with Kell Brook this summer.
Benn Sr famously fought Irishman Steve Collins in Manchester in the last two fights of his career, and yet with Benn Jr unbeaten in 20 fights with thirteen knockouts, and his popularity growing, fights on British shores are still the biggest draw.
“I’d take a world title after van Heerden every day and twice in Sundays,” explained Benn, who faces the southpaw against whom the 25-year-old star of Hearn’s UK Matchroom Boxing stable is likely to shine.
“This is what I and my team have been ultimately working towards all this time. I trust my team because we have not put a foot wrong this far. I’m in the top-five with every governing body so I’m ready to take whatever presents itself,” explained Benn.
“I’m not overlooking van Heerden, because he can bring whatever he wants. I just believe he cannot live with my firepower,” said Benn of his 34-year-old opponent who has twenty-eight wins and two defeats, one of those against current welterweight world champion Errol Spence, a fight in which he was dropped twice and stopped in the eighth round. “It will be controlled aggression. When I hit him I’m not just going to try and hit him and let him off. I’ll hit him hard and really let him know from the get go. Let him know he’s in with a real dog.”
Hearn, meanwhile is talking to Brook – and US former multiple-weight world champion Adrien Broner – for a summer showdown, with Brook having reportedly asked for a 10-million pound purse. “The Brook fight is the one I want,” said Benn.
“Being honest, I probably would have liked the Amir Khan fight more, if he had won [against Brook in February this year]. But he suffered a one-sided beating and I have no interest in fighting someone who has just gone through that. I’ve got to give credit to Kell, he looked sharp, focused, he looked like the Kell Brook of old. So I want that challenge. Kell reckons he’s the best welterweight in the country but I strongly disagree. I reckon I knock him out inside six rounds. And if he needs 10million to do it then I don’t mind taking a pay cut. 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.” Brook has also been linked to a possible fight with Chris Eubank Jr, at a contracted weight just below the middleweight limit of 160lbs.
Benn added: “I’m at a different stage in my career to Kell. If the fight happens then it happens, I won’t hold my breath over it. If it doesn’t I like the other big names in the division.”
“My name should be up there,” said Benn. “I’ve come a long way from being a raw novice six years ago but I am where I am now. People are having a moan about van Heerden, but what I do, I do with passion; I love winning and fear losing. That combination makes for an intense fighter. People need to change their narrative and their script because they keep coming out with the same old rubbish – ‘he is where he is because of his dad’ or ‘he relies too much on his power and can’t box’. Watch what I do to van Heerden. I will outbox him and take his head off.”