The future's bright for Benn

History tells us that when former world champion’s offspring step through the ropes they struggle to escape their fathers shadow. 

 

You only have to look at Chris Eubank Jr and Julio Caesar Chaves Jr as prime examples of fighters that have carried the burden of living up to the family name.

 

I mean Chavez Jr’s nickname is “El Hijo de la Leyenda” ("The Son of the Legend'') which is exactly what he is and that must be a huge amount of pressure to cope with. 

 

But in Conor Benn, we have a man that is taking to that pressure like he does to fighting, with ease.

 

His father Nigel is regarded by the WBC as the best Super Middleweight of all time alongside Joe Calzaghe.  

 

The “Dark Destroyer'' enjoyed a coveted career which saw him win the WBC world title as well as the WBO and Commonwealth belts but he is most synonymous for his bitter rivalry with Chris Eubank Snr. 

 

Eubank Snr who is a divisive character in the sport has taken a hands-on role throughout his son’s career which has been to his detriment on certain occasions.

 

He may be known as “Simply the Best” but he is also known to be notoriously difficult when negotiating fights and has perhaps been guilty of letting his ego get in the way of what actually matters, his boy’s success. 

 

Granted Jr has won a version of the world title in the IBO belt but you almost feel that if Eubank let him get on with it then he may have achieved more by now.

 

Benn Snr on the other hand has opted to take a back seat lending an ear when Conor needs him and that decision looks to be paying off.

 

At just 24, the welterweight contender is well on his way to becoming the UK’s next pay per view star after his emphatic victory over Samuel Vargas on Saturday night. 

 

Vargas is no mug; he is a seasoned pro who has been in with the likes of Errol Spence Jr, Danny Garcia, Vergil Ortiz Jr and Amir Khan. We will come back to him later.

 

Benn got rid of Vargas quicker than any of those men could, teeing off on his opponent at will  before referee Michael Alexander stepped in and waved off the contest within 82 seconds of the opening bell. 

 

Everlast

The Colombian bemoaned the timing of the stoppage in his post-fight interview with Sky Sports but in stopping the fight Alexander actually prevented him from getting badly hurt. 

 

Talk quickly turned to his next bout and in a  division littered with talent, there are a host of names “The Destroyer” to choose from. 

 

It was however “King Khan” that the Essex fighter demanded his promoter Eddie Hearn put him in with next. 

 

Khan hasn’t fought since his win over Billy Dib in July 2019 and has recently expressed a desire to revisit his long standing feud with fellow Brit Kell Brook.

 

The pair have gone back and forth for over a decade without ever meeting in the ring and the British fight fans have grown tired of the talk that has yielded little action.

 

A fight with Benn is much more appealing but would the Bolton man be willing to risk his legacy without a major title on the line? It appears not. 

 

The former WBA and IBF Light-Welterweight champion took to Twitter yesterday to congratulate Benn on his win. However, he played down any hopes of a future fight between them stating that “Maybe if he had some belts that fight would make sense but he’s got a long way to go yet.” 

 

If Benn isn’t able to land the Khan fight, challenging David Avanesyan for the European title is a viable option.

 

Avanesyan, who is managed by Neil Marsh retained his European belt by dropping Olympic Bronze medalist Josh Kelly twice in the 6th round of their fight in February at which point trainer Adam Booth threw in the towel.

 

Kelly and Benn had looked destined to collide at some point in the near future until Avanesyan squashed those plans. A further statement of intent could be made by Benn if he was able to do what Kelly couldn’t and take the Russian’s belt from him.

 

Outside of the ring, Benn has an endearing nature about him just like his dad. When addressing the camera it is clear that he has an unwavering desire to create his own legacy in boxing.

 

This may be down to the fact that he is no longer just fighting for himself having become a dad to son Eli in January whose name is emblazoned on his shorts.               

 

Once he had finished calling out Khan he also told reporter Andy Clarke “I want to be retired by the time I’m 30 with a few M’s in my bank account”, and who could blame him.

 

Boxing is an unforgiving sport but if you get it right it is one hell of a rollercoaster and I for one will be enjoying the ride that Benn takes us on.