Boxing
Conor Benn wastes no time as he forces early stoppage against Chris Van Heerden
Watch Benn vs. Van Heerden on DAZN
Conor Benn’s rapid ascent up the rankings gained more momentum as he blasted Chris Van Heerden in two rounds in front of a boisterous Manchester crowd. The experienced South African was brought to Britain to provide Benn with a test, but like the majority of Benn’s recent opponents, he was overpowered with ease.
Van Heerden will have been happy with the start he made as he settled into an early rhythm and was able to land on Benn. The Essex fighter’s typical fast start saw him unsettle Van Heerden on the odd occasion, but after the opening session, it appeared that the audience was in for an interesting fight. That thought was quickly extinguished.
A well-timed right hand at the start of round two hurt Van Heerden and it was obvious that the former IBO world champion was not going to recover. Benn continued his attack and managed to floor Van Heerden and with the third man halfway through his count, he decided to call things off as Benn wildly celebrated.
With another big test routinely passed, the time to step Benn up is fast approaching. Eddie Hearn listed multiple names in the post-fight interview such as Mikey Garcia and Kell Brook, and those would represent a significant leap in class for Benn. The 25-year-old has now proven himself beyond doubt at the level just below world class, and he’ll be backing himself to make the same impact when he jumps up later this year.
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