Via Charles Brun: Conor Benn was fired back on Thursday in response to the massive amount of criticism he received for choosing 34-year-old inactive heavyweight Chris Van Heerden as his next opponent for his bout. on April 16 on DAZN at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Benn (20-0, 13 KOs) pointed out that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis was well touted to take on Van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs) in his 26th bout in 2020. so it shouldn’t be a problem for him to enter the competition now in his 22nd game.
What the 25-year-old Benn didn’t realize was that Ennis was 22 years old, three years his junior, when he faced South Africa’s Van Heerden in 2020. Van Heerden was then 32 years old and fighting actively.
The combination of Van Heerden’s two-year absence, advanced age, and his undecided first-half knockdown against Ennis makes him a poor choice for Benn to fight in the main event.
Ennis beat Van Heerden moments before the competition was halted in the first round due to the South African suffering a cut.
It was alarming that Van Heerden was beaten by 22-year-old Boots Ennis in that fight, and it looks like Benn will want to take on him after that performance.
It is understandable that Benn would want to play Van Heerden if he were to play Ennis, but he does not compete from a distance.
Benn’s selection of Van Heerden as his opponent reinforces boxing fans’ belief that he is a cherry picker who focuses solely on old boys.
Benn defends Van Heerden’s pick
“Listen, they’re going to ask me, ‘Why are you playing Van Heerden? It’s a step down. ‘ It’s a handshake because three years ago you wouldn’t have said it,” Conor Benn told Social boxing reacting to the backlash from his decision to fight washed away Chris Van Heerden on April 16.
Benn seems a little confused here not fully understanding why the boxing world is criticizing him against Van Heerden.
If you look at how Van Heerden faced off against the terrible Ennis, that tells you all you need to know why fans were stoned by Benn for choosing this old man as his opponent.
“Southpaw, experience, ring, tough and he’s definitely as tough as they come,” Benn told Fight Stars TV in the match against Van Heerden.
“He will present different struggles than anyone I have fought before because he is a nampaw, but I am confident in my abilities and whatever anyone throws at me. during the night.
“All I have been involved with have been males. Because I’m getting a lot of public attention,” Benn said when asked why he was criticized for hitting 34-year-old Van Heerden.
“People will say that he fought Jaron Ennis right before me [in 2020] and Jaron Ennis had 26 fights. Well then you go, if he’s fighting okay and you’re giving him the next weight, then it’s definitely okay for Conor Benn to fight.
“I’m more in the public eye than Jaron Ennis, so you’re bound to get criticism, and that’s okay. The big battles are the ones I want. I want big fights. If I fight Kell Brook, someone will criticize me.
“So that’s fine. You have to let the promoters do what they have to do. I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me, and that’s it, and then we move,” Benn said.
The Conor Negotiations Failed The Brook . Negotiations
“Obviously, we want big England defeats, but for me my mind is on April 16, my mind is on Van Heerden. He’s at the forefront of my mind,” Benn said when asked if he was disappointed that his promoter Eddie Hearn couldn’t negotiate the match against Kell Brook.
Benn should see it positively that the fight with Brook couldn’t be for him because he wasn’t ready to take on a fighter of that caliber.
Given the way Benn promoter Eddie Hearn fits him, he may not be ready to face someone like Brook for years.
Look at old machines Hearn went up against Benn
- Chris Algieri
- Samuel Vargas
- Adrian Granados
- Chris Van Heerden
- Jussi Koivula
- Josef Zahradnik
“Listen, what for me has passed me. So if they made the fight, they made the fight great, but when they realize the numbers are so far apart, I won’t wait around. Get it done by April 16. I won’t wait around without anyone.
“I really don’t know and I don’t really care,” Benn said when asked if Brook intentionally overpriced him. “For me, it’s not about the money.
“The point is do I wait around and maybe the fight happens and maybe it doesn’t and make a few million or focus on growing my career, what will lead to that money? My career progress for sure.
“I don’t know. It breaks my heart,” Benn said of whether he’s become a sought-after man again or shows he’s one of boxing’s biggest stars.
Benn is expected to be world champion in 12 months
“World Champion. That’s where I see myself after 12 months,‘ said Ben. “If it was someone of that level, [David] Avanesyan is definitely world class. I would rather [Yordenis] Ugas or Keith Thurman,” Benn said of who he wanted to fight after Van Heerden.
Benn seems like his feet are no longer firmly on the ground as he talks about winning the world title within 12 months.
Unless he mentions one of the temporary titles that the sanctioning bodies throw around, there’s no way on earth that Benn will win the world title within 12 months.
Benn wasn’t good enough and he wasn’t progressing with Hearn combining him with left and right shooters. When you look at Conor’s famous father, Nigel, and see the massive opposition he’s fighting at a similar age, it’s disappointing to see how far he falls short of that level.
Of course, Nigel is on another level. He doesn’t need to be pampered as he was good enough to fight for world titles when he first turned pro.
“I know some people want Avanesyan, but I want to fight for a world title or the final knockout for a world title,” Benn said. “Most definitely, the world title is the goal and I know he wants the world title.
Benn said of Avanesyan: “The reason the fight continues to be talked about so much is because that’s all Warren’s team has to offer him. “That was all their team had to give him was the fight with Conor Benn. I don’t think they can make any other fight happen with him but myself.
“It’s a good television, isn’t it?” Benn talks about the back and forth between Warren and Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn. “It’s pretty funny, but Warren signed Avanesyan on the back of that. You know the fights will never happen.
“We tried to make [Chris] Jenkins. We offered Jenkins four or five times as much as he was paid before, and Warren wouldn’t allow it. So we really want the British [welterweight] title before he lost to Ekow [Essuman]. Teams won’t work, a million percent, no way. How stupid.
“I got a win by any means necessary,” Benn said of what will happen when he steps into the ring on April 9 against Van Heerden.
