Ilford’s Conor Benn lived up to his nickname ‘The Destroyer’ by viciously knocking out Chris Van Heerden in the second round at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night.
Emphatic Knock-Out
As expected, Benn came out and put the pressure on Van Heerden from the first bell. Going into the fight many predicted the experienced Van Heerden to test Benn and maybe drag the fight into the later rounds, but Benn made an emphatic statement by stopping Van Heerden faster than anyone else has.
Benn’s speed and power was too much for the South African and he fell to the floor after a barrage of punches.
Who’s Next?
Conor Benn invited former unified light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan to the ring to join him for his post-fight interview. When asked about a potential fight with Benn, Khan didn’t seem to keen stating, “He’s a young hungry lion, we’ll see”.
Benn himself said he’d “prefer Kell Brook or one of the household names in America such as Mikey Garcia or Adrien Broner.”
The fight most fans have asked for is David Avanesyan. Avanesyan – an Armenian-Russian fighter – shocked many when he stopped Josh Kelly last year and is the current European welterweight champion.
Not well-known as he isn’t a household name in the UK, the boxing purists think a bout with the 33-year-old would be young Benn’s toughest fight. The fight may not be as financially lucrative as the other names mentioned but would still present an exciting match-up that could go either way, and with victory over Van Heerden secure, the future is looking bright for The Destroyer.
