Conor Benn has warned South Africa’s Chris van Heerden he needs to be prepared for “a lot of fire” as they clash in 12 rounds for the WBA Continental Welterweight belt at the AO Arena in Manchester this Saturday. , April 16th, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).
‘Terminator’ (20-0, 13 KOs) claimed a stunning knockout victory over former world champion Chris Algieri last December, knocking out the American with a brutal right arm in the fifth round. of their flagship clash at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Reflecting on his knockout match, Benn said: “It was definitely the most impressive end of my career. It’s great that I was able to put on that performance. I just went in there with such confidence. Confidence in the ring… you show it in your defenses, trust your reflexes, trust your strength.
“Having Dad ring the bell and see his emotions intact was probably the most rewarding part of the entire eight-week camp. Even during the fight and the feeling after the fight. Looking back at that video, I see a person who is really happy for me. Nothing but happiness for his son. That was so warm to me. It made me very emotional watching it.”
The 25-year-old Essex-born has yet to face a male boxer in his 20 fights to date and is enjoying a challenge to lock horns with former IBO champion 147lbs van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs) – a seasoned veteran who has only been stopped by Errol Spence Jr in 32 professional fights.
“Every boxer I fight now will have more experience, but that means nothing to me,” Benn said. “Who they fought and what they did in their careers doesn’t matter because they didn’t fight me. I know what I can do and I know what I can do. I believe in my work ethic and I believe in my team. I believe in my mindset and I believe in my physical features. I believe in my strength and I believe in my boxing ability. Bring me whoever, I am confident in what I can do”.
‘The Heat’ succumbed to his pre-match trash talk, claiming that Benn is an “emotional, angry boxer” who relies solely on his strength. Benn is determined to prove his doubts wrong once again and promises to earn van Heerden’s respect as he aims to take another step towards the World Championship in the thriving Welterweight division. .
“Van Heerden is a good fighter, he is a tricky fighter, he is a tough fighter. He is a forward player and a former world champion. He was there with the best. Southpaw’s first rival – they’re definitely working hard. You have to think a lot more. You have to show more skills. You can’t just go there with the same approach you would with a mainstream boxer.
“He wanted this fight for a while. He told me he needed this fight for himself, needed it to close. We made the war happen. Hopefully he’s prepared, which I believe he will. He said he didn’t judge my boxing ability. If you don’t respect me, I will make you respect me. Chris van Heerden needs to be ready with massive firepower. He needs to be ready for someone who fights as if he has lost everything.”
