The Rise of Conor Benn: A Look at the UK’s Welterweight Sensation
In boxing, specific names have earned the legacy of being part of the sport’s history beyond their career as a competitor. The name ‘Benn’ has certainly achieved that. Conor Benn continues to live on the family legacy following in his father’s footsteps, Nigel Benn, who became a super middleweight champion in the 90s.
Who is Conor Benn?
British professional boxer Conor Benn, is also known as “The Destroyer,”, he was born in Greenwich, London, UK on the 28th September 1996. On 9th April 2016, Benn made his professional boxing debut at only 19 years old. Even with his already impressive boxing career, he still hasn’t got the world title yet.
Benn currently competes in the welterweight division and he is the son of former world champion Nigel Benn and has been boxing since he was a teenager. He has had an impressive career, with a perfect record of 21 wins in 21 fights.
Fighter Stats
Name: The Destroyer
Weight: Welterweight
Height: 5″ 8
Record: 21 fights – 21 wins
His most recent fight was against Chris van Heerden, which he won by TKO to retain his WBA continental belt. Benn is known for his aggressive style and powerful punches, making him among the most exciting fighters to watch.
Who is Nigel Benn?
The Black Destroyer, Nigel Benn, is a former British professional boxer and the father of Conor Benn. He was born in Ilford, London, England on the 22nd january 1964. On 28th January 1987, Benn made his professional boxing debut at 23 years old.
Nigel Benn had 48 fights over nine years and nine months, winning 42, losing 5, and drawing 1. Benn’s boxing record at the time of his final professional contest on 9th November 1996 was 42-5-1. (35 KO wins, 4 KO losses).
What Makes Conor Benn Stand out in the Boxing Scene?
Ultimately, as much as he is a talented boxer, it’s his father’s career and era of boxing that has helped shed light on Conor’s career. Nigel Benn was remarkable for his time, winning 42 of his 48 professional bouts.
Benn was part of a historic bout when he fought Gerald McClellan in 1995 in one of the most brutal and intense fights ever. The fight only ended in tragedy as McClellan suffered extensive brain damage after both fighters gave it their all for 12 rounds.
World in Sport suggests: “McClellan was rushed to the hospital as was Benn, who had also collapsed in his dressing room, due to exhaustion. McClellan underwent brain surgery by Dr John Sutcliffe, who removed a blood clot.
Benn was released from the hospital the following day; however, McClellan spent two weeks in a coma and only left the hospital in August 1995. His career is over. As a result of the fight, McClellan is blind, hearing-impaired, suffers short-term memory loss, and needs to use a wheelchair.”
Unsurprisingly, this fight has gone down in history as one of the greatest boxing matches ever.
Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank Sr
To this day, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr names are always associated due to the rivalry and strong hate for one another.
When set to fight, the pair could barely look at each other in interviews. Nigel Benn fought Chris Eubank on two occasions, with Benn losing the first fight and the second resulting in a draw.
Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank jr
Today, Conor Benn and Chris Eubank jr want to fight, which follows the two clashes between their dads in the 1990s.
Conor Benn was set to face Chris Eubanks jr in a catchweight fight on 8th October 2022 at the O2 London.
There was genuine hate which made the build-up to the fight exciting. Eubanks was so dedicated to meeting Benn in the ring he had to drop to 157 lbs, claiming it was the lightest he had ever been since he was a teenager.
Then, in the week leading up to the fight, Conor failed a drug test with clomifene in his system. Clomifene is a drug used in fertility treatment designed to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs. However, men taking clomifene indirectly boost their androgen levels, the male hormones that play a significant role in muscle mass and strength.
The fight got cancelled, and an investigation occurred to determine whether Benn would face disciplinary action. Benns legal team claimed the substance was in his body because of the number of eggs he consumed.
The WBC has reinstated his ranking and said the consumption of the eggs is a “reasonable explanation”. However, jokes were circulating online. Domino’s initially posted an image on their Twitter page showing a regular pizza topped with many eggs before jokingly calling it the ‘Conor Benn special’.
Conor Benn’s Career Highlights and Milestones to Date
Conor Benn has fought 21 times in his professional boxing career thus far, recording 21 wins to 0 defeats. Benn’s boxing record is 21-0 as of March 2023. (14 KO wins).
Conor is currently ranked 8th in the Welterweight division by Ring. He won the WBA Continental title when he beat Cedrick Peynaud on 28th July 2018. Conor also featured in the fourth instalment of the Rise of the Footsoldier film series, portraying his dad.
He also has no defeats in the ring so far. Below are his top wins.
Conor Benn defeats Samuel Vargas
By first-round Knockout, Conor Benn defeated Colombian boxer Samuel Vargas on 10th April 2021. Benn was 24 and had an 18-0 record (12 KOs). Vargas had a 31-6-2 record and was 31 years old (14 KOs). Of all of Benn’s fights, this one had the best performance.
Conor Benn defeats Chris Algieri
Conor Benn defeated American boxer Chris Algieri on 11th December 2021 through a fourth-round KO. 25-year-old Benn had a 20-0 record (13 KOs). Algieri was 37 years old and had a 25-3 record (9 KOs). The second-best performance of Benn’s career came in this fight.
Defeating Sebastian Formella is Conor Benn
After ten rounds, Conor Benn defeated German boxer Sebastian Formella unanimously on 21st November 2020. Benn was 24 years old and had a 17-0 record (11 KOs). 33-year-old Formella had a 22-1 record (10 KOs).
Conor Benn defeats Chris Truman
Conor Benn defeated Chris Truman on 21st April 2018 through a fourth-round TKO. 21-year-old Benn had a 12-0 record (9 KOs).
Conor Benn defeats Nathan Clarke
Conor Benn defeated Nathan Clarke by first-round Knockout on 7th October 2017. Benn was 21 and had a 9-0 record (7 KOs).
Check out Benn’s top highlights here:
How Has Conor Benn Managed to Build a Fanbase in such a Short Time?
As with any fighter following in their father’s footsteps, they will always grab the fan’s attention to see if they live up to the expectation. Conor has proven himself a talented boxer and already got 650k Instagram followers. His way of fighting is exciting and enthralling to watch, adding to his popularity.
Conor Benn and Kell Brooke’s Twitter Spat
With their most recent Twitter exchange, a Conor Benn vs Kell Brook could be in the works for later this year. According to his trainer Dominic Ingle’s Instagram story, Brook was back in the gym and expressed a desire to a rematch with Benn, according to EverythingBoxing.
Last year, Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Benn, offered Brook the opportunity to face him.
Instead, Brook decided to give up boxing, making his knockout victory against longtime foe Amir Khan his last performance in the sport—at least for now.
In response to the rumour that he had injured Brook during a sparring match, Benn said: “Last time we tried to make the fight, he chose retirement instead.
“Must have been that sparring session….”
Brook responded: “Who are you kidding? You’re the one who cut the sparring short, don’t flatter yourself p****.”
“Stop talking, s***,” Benn replied. “You know the footage begs to differ!
Source: https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1360946/conor-benn-kell-brook-twitter-fight/
Final Round
With no defeats in his career, Benn is certainly earning his stripes as an athlete. There is no doubt that Conor Benn is a fantastic athlete, and hopefully, one day, he will have a shot for a world title. With the failed drug test behind him and a reputation on the mend, Conor Benn is set to have a wonderfully full career, which many people, including myself, are excited to watch.
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