Conor Benn delivered another knockout performance on the big stage on Saturday night, stopping Chris van Heerden in just two rounds to pave the way for a fight with one of the welterweight division’s “serious players.”
Van Heerden represented a potential learning curve, with Benn having never faced a southpaw, but from the opening bell there was little doubt over the outcome. Benn started like a house on fire, attacking the veteran with some early combinations that sent the AO Arena wild and set the tone quickly. A flurry of left and right hooks left the South African wobbling, although he did land some nice counter punches in response.
‘The Destroyer’ lived up to his moniker in the second, stunning Van Heerden with a straight right before pouring on him with a flurry of shots that sent him tumbling to the canvas, unable to beat the count.
Attention swiftly turned to what could be next for Benn, who improved his record to 21-0 (14), with a whole host of names being linked with his next fight. In the aftermath, Benn beckoned Amir Khan into the ring, although the former world champion didn’t seem that interested in a future bout and was promptly serenaded with a chorus of boos as he left.
Promoter Eddie Hearn meanwhile mentioned the likes of Kell Brook, Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman, Danny or Mikey Garcia as potential opponents, naming Brook as the ideal choice but added that he didn't believe the Sheffield-fighter wanted it.
“The most important thing next for Conor Benn is a big, big fight, and a big step up. The test tonight was the experience and the southpaw (style) of Chris van Heerden. It took one round for him to get used to that before he absolutely demolished him,” Hearn said.
“And when you demolish the opposition like that, you need to make big jumps. The progression of Conor Benn has been tremendous, we’ve boxed him all over the country. This is a true star of British boxing, this can be a global star. This used to be a gimmick, this is now an elite world welterweight fighter. He’s going to go on and become a world champion. Now we’ve got to step up the competition.”
“We want a big fight, we want a marquee fight,” Hearn added. “He’s a superstar, and he’s really, really good. We know what we’re doing, and it’s time for a serious test this summer.”
PICTURE CREDIT - IAN WALTON/MATCHROOM BOXING
