Chris Van Heerden the frontrunner to fight Conor Benn next

Conor Benn

CHRIS VAN HEERDEN is the frontrunner to face Conor Benn, Boxing News understands, on a show the UK star expects to headline on April 16.

Bennโ€™s team has also been in talks with Maurice Hooker and Robert Guerrero but those former belt-holders are less likely to get the fight with the Briton next. Van Heerden has been inactive in recent years but has a respectable 28-2-1 record. The important thing for Benn is to be busy himself. He intends to fight at least three times this year.

Benn says heโ€™s happy to box anyone. โ€œAnyone, anyone top 10, anyone. Iโ€™d have [Yordenis] Ugas next. Iโ€™d have anyone,โ€ he told Boxing News. โ€œI just leave it to my team to pick the opponent and I go okay, letโ€™s go.โ€

โ€œIt will be in the month of April [when he fights]. Weโ€™ll just keep working hard, keep grafting and when the opportunity presents itself, as in a fight date, then weโ€™ll make sure weโ€™re ready,โ€ Benn said.

As well as London, heโ€™s open to headlining in other cities across the country, whether itโ€™s Liverpool, where he fought last, Manchester, Newcastle or elsewhere. โ€œItโ€™s just nice that Iโ€™m able to fight in front of the fans up North,โ€ he says. โ€œ[The support] is overwhelming. Itโ€™s like what did I do to deserve this? I think I just give people value for money and I love to entertain the public. I fight with my heart on my sleeve.

โ€œIt just encourages me that what Iโ€™m doing is right and I love the public for it. Itโ€™s just warming. Itโ€™s very warming for me.โ€

Benn has also suggested an unlikely fight with Chris Eubank Jr, the son of Chris Eubank, the legendary rival of Conor’s father Nigel Benn, at an 154lb catchweight. โ€œItโ€™s very realistic,โ€ Conor insisted. โ€œIโ€™m walking around at super-middle now so 154 is not problem for me to make at all.โ€

It was watching Eubank Jrโ€™s recent bout with Liam Williams that prompted Benn to make the challenge public. โ€œIt was an awkward performance,โ€ he said of Eubank Jr. โ€œAwkward to the eye thatโ€™s for sure, in terms of it was just an odd fight.

โ€œHe [Eubank] can fight but heโ€™s an awkward boxer. He looks awkward to the eye but he can fight.โ€

Share Page