Conor Benn, son of British Boxing legend Nigel, will look to continue in his father’s footsteps this Saturday as he takes on tough South African Chris Van Heerden in Manchester.
This welterweight showdown will give an opportunity to see what level Benn, unbeaten in 20 bouts, is currently at.
Is Young ‘Con’ Ready?
As one of the most talked about prospects in the country, it’s only natural to want to see Conor Benn fighting the top names in the welterweight division, but is he ready?
On the same night there’s a huge unification fight between IBF & WBC Champion Errol Spence and WBA Champion Yordenis Ugas. In past interviews Conor has shown interest in fighting the top names but his team have stated that he won’t be rushed and is still learning his craft. Depending on his performance Saturday night it’ll give a better idea on how he would do against the elite of the division.
Van Heerden – coming off a No Contest against arguably the best fighter in the division without a belt, Jarron Ennis – will be looking to end the hype and put himself in line for a title shot.
In the build-up to the bout, the duo have exchanged heated words in promotional videos for Matchroom Boxing and DAZN, with Van Heerden calling his opponent “not a boxer” whilst the 25-year old, who fights out of Ilford, promised to “iron him out”.
https://twitter.com/DAZNBoxing/status/1514312462236934147?s=20&t=cK-qDUcgBzcAkF0J4gQK5w
Experience Versus Youth
The experienced Van Heerden believes his toughness and slick boxing skills will be enough to cause an upset. The Southpaw has a record of 28 wins with 12 knockouts. Despite falling short previously against the top operators of the division like Errol Spence in 2015, he firmly believes in himself to end Conor Benn’s unbeaten record.
The Manchester Arena will be packed and heavily in favour of the home fighter Conor Benn. The hostile atmosphere won’t do Van Heerden any favours as he already has a huge task at hand. I see Conor starting fast out the gate and applying constant pressure throwing body shots and head hunting. As he breaks Van Heerden down, I see a stoppage between rounds 6 – 8.
