Conor Benn discusses his dad Nigel's legacy
Straight after WBA Continental welterweight champion Conor Benn knocked out Chris Algieri in spectacular fashion on Saturday, December 11, in Liverpool, his dad Nigel Benn proudly said: "He's not in my shadow no more."
But Conor disagreed with his former two-weight world champion father, replying with: "I'll never be out of my dad's shadows, even if I go on to achieve more than he did.
"But I don't see that as a negative. I'm proud of the legacy my dad has left and I'm proud the Benn name is well respected."
The 25-year-old delivered the best performance of his undefeated 20-fight career, ending former world champion Algieri's night with a stunning straight left-right combination in the fourth round that had the American out cold on his feet.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he discussed future opponents available to him as well as his close relationship with his famous father, Nigel.
"To see this raw passion and love from my dad – the only time he's ever been that happy is when he won his own world title. It was emotional watching it," Benn Jr says.
"The really warming thing is that there are kids who say to him 'you're Conor Benn's dad' and there are fans who say to me 'you're Nigel Benn's son' – we get a good crossover."
From the moment Benn first laced the gloves, comparisons with his dad were, quite naturally, going to be made.
"That early pressure was horrible," he admits. "It wasn't nice."
After making his professional debut in 2016, he was dropped twice in his 10th bout – a controversial points win over Frenchman Cedrick Peynaud.
Boos echoed around York Hall as the Londoner's hand was raised, but he says that experience, plus public scrutiny, influenced a remarkable turnaround in his career.
"Pressure makes diamonds," he says. "You learn to deal with it, to make it part of your life. Fighting in front of 20,000-30,000 fans early on in my career has stood me in good stead.
"Now that I'm headlining, I don't feel nerves. I'm even having 40-minute naps on the day of the fight before I head to the arena."
After impressive wins against Germany's Sebastian Formella last year and a first-round demolition over Samuel Vargas in April, Benn is slowly becoming a marquee name in British boxing.
His latest win led former world champion Carl Frampton to label him as "the most improved fighter in the United Kingdom", but Benn says his victories are just a product of the hard work carried out in the gym.
"It doesn't surprise me – we're always working in the gym to become an all-round better fighter," he says. "I'm always improving and always evolving so it's inevitable that is shows on fight night."
The next assignment is likely to be against American Adrien Broner.
Broner – a four-weight world champion with 34 wins, four defeats and one draw – is one of boxing's most controversial figures and was most recently arrested in October over an outstanding warrant.
Benn welcomes a potentially heated build-up with the 32-year-old. "If he wants to dish it out, I'll happily dish it back out at him," he says.
"I don't think he will want to carry on with all that round here. I'll show him how us Brits do it.
"I'll go to the States and give him a beating. It doesn't make no difference to me. A ring is a ring. Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck could be sitting ringside – it makes no difference."
The welterweight division is arguably the hottest in world boxing. Errol Spence Jr holds the WBC and IBF titles, while fellow undefeated American Terence Crawford is the WBO champion.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says Benn is two fights away from a world title shot, but the boxer says he is ready now and is eyeing up Cuba's WBA 'Super' champion Yordenis Ugas.
"I want that world title next and I fancy my chances against Ugas," he says.
Another option could be an all-British fight with the winner of the bout between Amir Khan and Kell Brook.
The two ex-world champions will finally put their long-running rivalry to bed when they clash on 19 February in Manchester.
Benn describes Khan-Brook as a "50-50 fight" – but says that while he would "take Khan at four weeks' notice," the Bolton boxer is reluctant to ever face him.
"Khan won't take the fight. I've spoken to him," he says. "Why would he want to fight a young pitbull? I wouldn't."
Whether it is Broner, as expected, Khan, Brook, a shot at Ugas, or any other welterweight contender, there is one thing Benn is certain of.
"I will be a world champion in 2022 – that goes without saying," he says.
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