Conor Benn Blows the Doors Off Chris Van Heerden; Targeting Big Fight Next!
At the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, you had a key twelve-round welterweight battle between Conor “The Destroyer” Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) and “The Heat” Chris Van Heerden (28-3-1, 12 KOs). Benn has shown significant improvement in recent outings. He’s added discipline and patience to go with his punching power and natural aggression. Ranked fifth by the IBF and WBA, and seventh by the WBO at 147 pounds, his handlers at Matchroom envision him fighting for a world title and engaging in big-money fights down the road.
Here he faced Van Heerden, who is a vet and has been in the ring with top contender Jaron “Boots” Ennis and current unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. The 34-year-old had hopes of spoiling the Benn applecart and ruining his long-term plans.
NO MESSING AROUND
The action was lively and intense from the opening bell. Taller and longer, Van Heerden used his jab to create room in hopes of keeping the fight at a distance. But the energetic Benn was on him like bad breath, pounding with right hands and hooks to the body and head.
After a competitive first round, Benn connected with a right hand that stunned Van Heerden early in round two. A follow-up series of shots put the South African down. Clearly hurt, the referee called a halt to the bout two minutes to go in the round.
Team Benn is looking for a big fight this summer. During the post-fight interview his promoter, Eddie Hearn, said it’s time for his charge to face a high-profile name this summer, mentioning Kell Brook, Adrien Broner, and Danny Garcia as opponents they are targeting.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
