Conor Benn is eyeing a huge domestic clash with Amir Khan or Kell Brook should he get past Samuel Vargas on Saturday April 10, but ‘The Destroyer’ insists there is no chance of him overlooking the Canadian-Colombian warrior as he puts his WBA Continental Title on the line once more, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Rising Welterweight star Benn (17-0, 11 KOs) turned in a career-best performance last time out in November as he dominated Germany’s Sebastian Formella over ten impressive rounds, outfighting and outboxing the former IBO World Champion at the top of the bill at The SSE Arena, Wembley.

The Essex native, 24, has come on leaps and bounds since making his professional debut at The O2 in London back in April 2016, and is arguably one of Britain’s most improved fighters in recent years. A win over Vargas next weekend would further enhance his reputation as one of the hottest properties in the 147lbs division. 

“He’s an experienced fighter,” said Benn. “He’s got tonnes of heart. He’s got tonnes of grit and sheer determination that so many fighters lack. He brings the heat! This ain’t going to be a one-two lights out. It isn’t going to be one of them. This is going to be a hard fight. This is going to be me getting stuck straight in and us two going at it in there. It’s going to be one hell of a fight and that’s what I’m preparing for.

“He gave Amir Khan hell. Amir Khan got saved by the bell and by the grace of God three or four times in that fight. He had him on the deck. I know Khan’s chin isn’t that credible but he’s a well-respected fighter. He’s achieved everything that I want to achieve in the sport. This is going to be a harder fight than people think in my opinion. 

“I made the mistake once of overlooking an opponent and I hit the deck twice. I can go back to that fight because it was a career-defining moment for me. I had to ask myself how badly I wanted it. It taught me to never overlook an opponent. I thought, ‘what’s he going to do to me?’. Boom, straight one-two. That was a massive reality check for me. Since then I don’t overlook opponents.

“I’m not overlooking Vargas, but what doors open after him? I want a big domestic fight still. Someone that I can take that experience off. The Amir Khans, the Kell Brooks. The Josh Kelly fight is still there if he’s still fighting. The Amir Khan fight would be one hell of a fight. That would be a great British clash. Amir Khan was a fighter I looked up to and so was Kell Brook. Why not put me in with one of them after Vargas? 

“This is definitely going to be an entertaining fight for the public. This is going to be one that you don’t want to miss. This is going to be a steppingstone in my career. It’s going to be a massive fight. It’s going to be a great fight. It’s going to be a hard fight. I’m going to have to show grit, determination, hunger, skill and power – the full shebang!”

Benn vs. Vargas tops a big night of action April 10, Watford’s Shannon Courtenay (6-1, 3 KOs) faces Australia’s Ebanie Bridges  (5-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, Hartlepool’s Savannah Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) makes the first defence of her WBO Middleweight World Title against European Champion Femke Hermans (11-3, 4 KOs), Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) returns after his masterclass win over Angel Aviles and Takeley Super-Middleweight John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October.

Over the past few years, Vargas has developed a cult following as one of the sport’s bravest warriors, testing himself against some of the biggest names between 147 and 154, including Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia, Luis Collazo, Vergil Ortiz, Amir Khan and Ali Funeka. Though Vargas has a substantial fanbase in Canada and could have chosen an easier path, that’s simply not in his DNA.

“I’m excited to get back in the ring and test one of the guys they say is the future of the welterweight division, but I don’t think it’s his time yet,” said Vargas. “I’ve stood toe-to-toe with the best fighters in this division and I’ve never even touched the canvas. I know what it takes to be at the top level, and I want to prove that I can still be there.”

The bout comes a little more than a year after Vargas became the first fighter of note to have a fight postponed due to the worldwide pandemic. The 31-year old was originally scheduled to face Vergil Ortiz on March 28, but was postponed all the way until July. Despite training through strict restrictions in his home of Canada, Vargas turned in another valiant performance against an explosive and dangerous puncher.

“Sammy never let anything stop him, even when everything was completely closed down, he found a way to get the work in, even if it was by himself at home. He’s never made an excuse or backed down once in his career,” said promoter Lee Baxter. “There comes a time in every prospect’s career when they face a man they can’t break, and you find out what they’re really made of. Conor Benn is going to have that moment on April 10, because he’ll be staring across the ring at a man that the best fighters in this division haven’t been able to break.”

Benn, the son of the legendary world champion Nigel Benn, has been emerging from his famous father’s shadow with a string of impressive victories. Last time out, Benn dominated Sebastian Formella, who had most recently been in the ring with Shawn Porter, virtually shutting Formella out over ten rounds. Benn currently sits 11th in the WBA at welterweight, where the ageless Manny Pacquiao holds the title, alongside Yordenis Ugas.

Thanks to his crowd-pleasing style, Vargas has become a fixture on DAZN. In fact, his bout against Amir Khan was the first major boxing event aired on the platform, kicking off a run that has seen DAZN emerge as one of the power players in the industry.

“I take a lot of pride in being able to fight on DAZN once again, especially because my fans in Canada are able to watch,” said Vargas. “I promise to deliver a win this country can be proud of.”

The card will also feature the WBA female bantamweight title bout between Rachel Ball and Shannon Courtenay, as well as the return of WBO world female middleweight champion Savvannah Marshall.

Location and start time will be announced shortly, as the British Boxing Board of Control will resume overseeing action in the middle of February.

Conor Benn remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Sebastian Formella in a welterweight bout at the SSE Arena in London, England.

It was a solid performance out of Benn, who bloodied the left nostril of Formella as early was round two.

Benn, 147 lbs of Illford, Essex won by scores of 100-91, 99-91 and 99-92 and is now 17-0. Formella, 147 lbs of Hamburg, GER is 22-2.

“I just stuck to my boxing,” Benn told Matchroom. “I was hitting him with some hard shots. The guy just went 12 rounds with Shawn Porter and I think I beat him more convincingly. I didn’t lose a round. It was an okay night’s work. I’ve had harder spars than that. I’m not being funny. I’ve been sparring with Middleweights and Super-Middleweights in 18oz gloves. They wear 14oz gloves and I wear 18oz gloves. When it comes to punching power, if I’m not going to bang them out, I’ll wear them down.

“He’s a former World Champion and I expected nothing less. I stayed cool and composed the whole ten rounds. I could have done 15. I’m barely breaking a sweat now. He tried it on the inside and I beat him to the punches on the inside. He tried it at range and I beat him to the punches at range. I was quicker, faster and stronger. People think their experience is going to get to me, what experience? Jussi Koivula got banged out in two rounds and if they want to go ten or twelve I’ll outbox them for ten or twelve. 

“People will always question me because of my vulnerability. I’m hungry like I come from the ends. I’m hungry like I came from nothing. I fight like a starving man. You don’t need to come form poverty, come from having nothing, to be a great fighter. I have a great life. I live such a blessed life, but I still fight like a starving man because of that championship mindset, that hunger and will to win. 

“I’ve just beaten No.23 in the world, a former IBO World Champion. I’m pushing on. The only domestic fight I’m interested in, the only domestic fight that the public keep talking about, not Instagram, is the Josh Kelly fight. That’s the only fight I’m interested in. If not, get me Samuel Vargas. Get me some of these top Yanks, I’ll have a bit of them. The only domestic fight I’m interested in is Josh Kelly. Let’s have it.”

Fabio Wardley remained undefeated by stopping Richard Lartey in round two of their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Wardley pawed with a left and then landing a booming right that sent Lartey down and the fight was stopped at 1:22.

Lartey needed some oxygyn, but seemed alright.

Wardley, 230 lbs of Ipswich, ENG is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Lartey, 258.1 lbs of Accra, GHA is 14-4.

“The first round took some adjusting,” said Wardley afterwards. “I like to use that first round to gather information, figure out my opponent, see where gaps are, see what’s going on. Just analyse the whole situation. I did that, took a few shots doing it but that’s all part of the game. A bit of that chin check thing was ticked off for me. I can take a bang and it’s not going to give me too much bother. We got through that first round and I figured out what I was going to do from then onwards. 

“I stung him with a few jabs and I always saw that those gloves came straight up in front of him. I fought sting him with one and come around the side. That was the plan and it came off perfectly. Nobody is ever going to grumble at an early night’s work. I get to go back and chill out now. I need to start getting those rounds in and get tougher tests. I’ve ticked that box of ‘do I have one punch power?’. 

“The comparisons are always going to come. Does me knocking out Lartey quicker than Daniel Dubois mean I’m better than him? Does it mean I’d do the same to Daniel? Boxing isn’t that cut and dry. There’s a lot more to it. I take it for what it is. I beat Richard Lartey in two round and I’m happy with that performance. I did well and that’s all you take from it. We keep moving and we keep working.”

Alen Babic kept his perfect knockout streak alive by taking out Tom Little in round three of their scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

Babic had a tremendous unrelenting workrate. In round three, Babic put Little down with a right hand, but Little went down more from exhaustion. Later in the round, Babic landed a chopping right that put Little down flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 2:38.

Babic, 213.8 lbs of Zagreb, CRO is 6-0 with six knockouts. Little, 235 lbs of Hatfield, ENG is 10-9.

“My Savage Army, I never lie to you,” Babic told Matchroom. “If I tell them I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it. I said I would do it in the first round and it should have been in the first round, he was well prepared. He could take a punch. I think I broke both of my knuckles on his head. I can feel it. He can take a punch. “Nobody can go three rounds with me. I had fuel in my tank for twenty like that. Filip Hrgovic bet against me, I’m so glad he lost money on me. He is my fellow Croat, we live like 2km away from each other. He bet against me. That just shows he doesn’t know shit about boxing. He doesn’t know the history of boxing. He’s just a technical guy, a very good technical guy. As soon as the fans come back, I want him. 

“I’m going to take Tom back to my Savage Army because he’s a good guy. He’s a good fighter but he’s not even close to my level. He’s two stone heavier than me. and I want you to write that down. I box every day. I don’t do anything out of the ring. My training is old school, boxing, sparring and pads. Just that. I didn’t do a single push up or pull up. 

“I’m not faking anything. Hrgovic is a fake. I’m real and I want to fight. I like fist fights. I think it was a beautiful fight. I want to give people entertainment. That’s who I am and I’m always going to be like that. Unless somebody tests me I’m going to keep knocking them out. Give me a strong puncher, a knockout artist. You’re going to see the sweet science. I can do it. I can punch and I have stamina. I have a strong head, you can’t beat that with muscles.”

Jez Smith won a decision over previously undefeated Ben Ridings in a six-round super middleweight contest.

Smith, 166 lbs of Harrow Weald, ENG won by a 60-54 score and is now 12-2-1. Ridings, 165 lbs of Bury, ENG is 3-1.

“I’m over the moon,” Smith said afterwards. “I can’t put it into words. I had a game plan and I knew what I was going to do. I knew I had a good game plan so I stuck to my boxing. I think it was a dominant performance. The referee didn’t give him a round. If I can box like that and do that when I’m not even 30% fit,  imagine what I can do when I’m fully fit. I took this fight on five days’ notice, I’m not taking anything away from Ben, I knew I was levels above him. I’ve hardly been in the gym. I’m going to dedicate myself to this craft. I’m going to be back with another win on my record. 

“I’m a fighting man. As soon as I got the call to fight live on Sky Sports on a massive bill like this I jumped at the chance. I’ll fight anyone. I’m going to get back down to Light-Middleweight. Me and Ted Cheeseman have unfinished business from the amateurs. Me and him had a fight called off after one round as there was fighting in the arena. That would be an electric fight with fireworks. If he wants it he can have it. I’ve put myself on the map so hopefully I can start being used on these big shows more. 

“I knew tonight was my night. I knew I had to go in there and put on a boxing performance. I believe that’s what I did. He hardly touched me. I claimed every round. I think this is the biggest arena that I’ve fought in so far in my career. I’m ecstatic and over the moon. I just want to say a massive thank yo to Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for giving me this opportunity. I’ll be ready for the call when it comes again.”

Liam Davies stopped Sean Cairns after round six of their scheduled 10-round bantamweight bout.

Davies battered Cairns over the six-round battle.

In round five, Cairns began to bleed from the nose, and his right started to swell. After the 6th, the corner stopped the bout.

Davies, 118 lbs of Telford, ENG is 8-0 with three stoppages. Cairns, 118 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 7-3.

“And the new English Bantamweight Champion sounds good,” Davies told Matchroom afterwards. “It is music to my ears. I’m just happy. I knew I could do it. It was just about getting in there and getting the job done, making sure that everything went to plan. I felt like it did tonight.

“I still had a lot left in the tank. I wasn’t slowing down for nothing. I was building up the pressure and putting my punches together. You’ve got to give it to him, he’s as tough as anything. He kept coming and coming! That’s why I didn’t go mad with it. I respected how tough he was and how game he was. Full respect to Sean and I wish him all the best in the future. 

“I’d give myself an eight out of ten. I know there’s still more to come from me. I just hope I get the chance to come again and show another level because this is just the start for me. I’m looking to build and get more belts around my waist. 

“The show in Telford didn’t go ahead but I landed on my feet fighting live on Sky Sports here wining my first title. This is a memory that I will never forget and hopefully something that we can build on. I don’t fold under pressure. If anything, I rise to it. I rise to the occasion and next time I’ll rise again with a bigger and better performance for another belt hopefully. That’s the plan. 

“I’m here to impress and I felt like I did tonight. I did what I intended to do. I won in style. Most people would have gone over. I hit him hard and you’ve got to respect him for taking those shots. I don’t think most Bantamweights could have taken that power. Roll on whoever is next because I’m coming now.”

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 

10 x 3 mins vacant English Bantamweight Title  
LIAM DAVIES 8st 5lbs 12oz v SEAN CAIRNS 8st 5lbs 12oz        
(Telford, England)                    (Liverpool, England)

followed by

6 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
BEN RIDINGS 11st 10lbs 12ozv JEZ SMITH 11st 11lbs 12oz
(Bury, England)                            (Harrow Weald, England)

followed by

8 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
ALEN BABIC 15st 3lbs 8oz v TOM LITTLE 16st 10lbs 12oz
(Zagreb, Croatia)                     (Hatfield, England)

followed by

10 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
FABIO WARDLEY 16st 6lbs 0oz v RICHARD LARTEY 18st 6lbs 1oz
(Ipswich, England)                       (Accra, Ghana)

followed by

10 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
CONOR BENN 10st 6lbs 12oz v SEBASTIAN FORMELLA 10st 6lbs 13oz
(Ilford, Essex)                             (Hamburg, Germany)

Eddie Hearn:

“Here we go again. We’re back in the bubble. We’re up against it once again. Every week and every show is a bonus. Last week was a tremendous show. A women’s World Championship triple-header, the great Katie Taylor, the numbers were through the roof. Boxing is buzzing. Somehow, someway, we’re finding a way to keep cracking on with great shows. This Saturday night we’re live and exclusive on Sky Sports and on DAZN in the US.”

Conor Benn – Ilford, England – 16-0, 11 KOs – defending his WBA Continental Welterweight Title against Sebastian Formella:

“The novelty does wear off. I miss my family. On Saturday night I will take that frustration out on my opponent. I’ve worked too hard to get to where I am now to let it slip between my fingers.

“To many, I’m a role model. To the older generation, I will always be Nigel Benn’s son but the younger generation say to him: ‘Oh, you are Conor Benn’s dad!’

“There will be ups and downs. I have come through adversity. The sky is the limit. I will reach the end goal but I won’t put a time limit on it. I don’t know when. I don’t know what I’ll have to go through to get there.

“But I will get there because I’ve too hard. I plan to show that I am the business. My four-year apprenticeship is done, finished. I’m here to prove that I am a contender.

“He’s a tough opponent but that doesn’t bother me. People said Jussi Koivula would beat me but he got banged out. If you get hit by a right hand, left hook then it doesn’t matter who you are.

“I’ve got to win in good fashion. I’m good for 10 rounds or to get him out in the first couple. It’s not down to him. It doesn’t matter what he does. If he wants to move I’ll hunt him down. If he wants to have a tear-up? More fool him, I’ll soon make him regret that.

“He’s nice and polite – trying to be Andy Ruiz Jr – waving at me from across the room! It ain’t all good when we get in there. I know he thinks this is an easy fight. I’ve sacrificed too much for me to not perform.”Sebastian Formella – Hamburg, Germany – 22-1, 10 KOs – challenging Conor Benn for the WBA Continental Welterweight Title:

“Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their hospitality. The staff have been very helpful and I feel completely at home. It’s very cool to stay here in the bubble. 

“Conor Benn is a difficult fighter to face with good skills. It will be a good fight. I have trained very hard. Of course I will win the fight on Saturday, I won’t make it easy for him.

“I learnt to put up my hands and have a good defence in my last fight against Shawn Porter. Of course it is a short amount of time after the Shawn Porter fight, but it was enough to change things a little bit. It was a very good experience and I was happy to do this fight in America.

“Because I am higher in the rankings than him, I am the test for him. He is also a good fighter and I have seen many of his fights. He comes forward and has a good defence when he wants. 

“It’s a good step up for the both of us because when I win the fight, there will be more good fights in the future for me. It could be a tactical fight or we could stand feet to feet and fight, hitting each other all of the time.”

Fabio Wardley – Ipswich, England – 9-0, 8 KOs – fighting Richard Lartey in a ten round Heavyweight contest:

“I’m always ready for the step-up. This is another fight on our progress of me moving forward, proving that the different tests you throw at me, the different types of opponent, whatever they may be, that I can overcome them.

“Obviously prove that I’m a real contender for the division, that I’m here to do some damage and make some waves.

“You know exactly what you’re going to get from him. He’s not coming there to roll over. He’s not coming there to just get some money and go home. He’s coming to take my head off.

“You’ve seen in his previous fights, he was more than happy to stand there and go toe to toe with Daniel and try and take his jaw and he’ll be doing the same with me.”I’ve got to be switched on, I’ve got to be paying attention, and as long as I stick behind my game plan, I can always get them out of there.”

Richard Lartey – Accra, Ghana – 14-3, 11 KOs – fighting Fabio Wardley in a ten round Heavyweight contest:

“Thank you very much for this opportunity. I respect Matchroom for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to appear on this bill. Thank you to Wardley for accepting this contest.

“I have to respect anybody that I come into contact with in the ring. No party, no Lartey is coming on Saturday. We’re coming to do some wonderful work in the ring. 

“I respect my opponent and the people that have brought me here to fight in London again. This is my third time being in London. I’ve got a lot of fans who I know will be watching. I thank them for what they are doing for me. 

“I know definitely something massive and positive is going to come on Saturday night. I’m not here to joke, I’m here to prove my worth.”

Alen Babic – Zagreb, Croatia – 5-0, 5 KOs – fighting Tom Little in an eight round Heavyweight contest:

“Why does he talk like that? I said nothing but nice things so why do you take Hrgovic’s side? That’s a sell-out. You can’t be in ‘The Savage’ army anymore.

“There is a lot of disrespect. They always talk about Hrgovic. I don’t care about him – he has fought no-one. You are not a friend, you are a sell-out. Hrgovic said you are a bum but you take his side?

“You have done cross-fit for one month and you talk like you have the biggest arms. He talks like I am nothing. I have five fights, 10 rounds. Everybody beat you, brother!””‘The Savage’ is mad. I was his friend when he was as fat as a doughnut. Now he says he will finish me then say ‘Hrgovic is better’. Why does he say this?

“Everyone can keep doubting me. I’ve heard enough. I keep knocking everyone out in two rounds. I’ll knock him out in one round. One round is my plan. Everyone keeps questioning me.”

Tom Little – Hatfield, England – 10-8, 3 KOs – fighting Alen Babic in an eight round Heavyweight contest:

“I had an epiphany when I got home from Saudi Arabia. This runs deeper than just myself. For what I want to do, this is the first stop on the way. I’ve said a lot of cheap words but they were masking agents.

“I rate Babic highly. But this isn’t about how I rate him. If he can manage to get the job done, he is fighting [a better version of me] than Hrgovic, Dubois or Majidov fought.

“Me and this man have promised everyone a war. Blood and guts. We will go out and deliver. I’m not going to run. I’m a man of my word and I’ll meet him in the middle. I won’t give any ground.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if both of us have to climb off the canvas. There is not a cowardly bone in my body. I am there to fight, bleed and win.”Ben Ridings – Bury, England – 3-0 – fighting Jez Smith in a six round Middleweight contest:

“I was ecstatic when I got the call to be honest because as you all know I was supposed to be appearing on the Ultimate Boxxer competition fighting Zak Chelli but that fell through because me and Kieran tested positive for coronavirus so we’ve been quarantining ever since. I was just at home with my family when we got the call for this fight. One minute it was on, one minute it was off. 

“Everyone is looking at my old YouTube videos. I’ve not fought like that in nearly two years now. I’ve been sparring the best every week. I’ve been sparring Callum Smith every Wednesday. Obviously there’s other great fighters in that gym. I fight completely different. I can hold my own. It’s going to be exciting. 

“I’m going to fight with everything that I’ve got. I’m just a local Bury lad. It’s a massive opportunity, look at all of these cameras! He’s a good fighter, I’m not taking that away from him. If he’s looking through me think it’s going to be an easy win for him then he needs to think different because I am game for the night. It’s the biggest stage that I could be on and I’m here.”

Jez Smith – Harrow Weald, England – 11-2-1, 5 KOs – fighting Ben Ridings in a six round Middleweight contest:

“Firstly I’d like to thank Eddie and Matchroom for having me on this show. I just stay ready all of the time. I’m always in good fights. On Saturday night Ben is getting smashed. It’s as simple as that. There’s levels to this game and he’s taking a step up too quickly. He’s getting dealt with on Saturday. I think my experience will be too much for him. He hasn’t been in with anybody. He’s only fought journeymen. I know he’s been out of the ring for a while. If he comes and has a scrap he gets knocked out. If he comes to box he gets smashes. Either way, on Saturday night it’s going to be a dominant performance from me and I’m going to deal with him. I probably start too fast sometimes. Six rounds definitively won’t be a problem for me.”

Liam Davies – Telford, England – 7-0, 2 KOs – fighting Sean Cairns for the vacant English Bantamweight Title:

“I just want to start off by saying thank you to Eddie Hearn, Matchroom, BCB and Errol Johnson for making this happen. I’m here and I’m ready to grab it with both hands. I’m so excited, and what a card to be on. Hopefully it’s my first title of many. Expect some good skilled boxing and a guaranteed win for Liam Davies. This is the hardest fight of my professional career and I expect that. I know he’s a tall awkward southpaw, I’m tall myself so it’s going to be a great fight and I can’t wait to get in there now.”

Sean Cairns – Liverpool, England – 7-2, 1 KO – fighting Liam Davies for the vacant English Bantamweight Title:

“We’ve both got to take our opportunities haven’t we. Liam is looking past me, and I know he’s looking past me. I like that. This is what you dream of when you turn pro isn’t it. To be on big shows like this. I’m just so blessed to be here. If you’d look at my life ten years ago, you’d have never of dreamed of my being here. Honest to god I’m just so blessed to be here and I’m going to take advantage of that. I’m going to grab this opportunity with both hands and you’ll have me back again. 

“I’m a great advert for what boxing can do for you. I’m from probably the roughest part of Liverpool. You’re a product of your environment aren’t you. I was led down the wrong road when I was younger but boxing took me out of that and look where I’m sitting now. Ten years ago you would never expected it. Not even ten years ago, seven years ago even. Where I’m from there’s no youth clubs or anything like that anymore. There’s only boxing clubs for the kids to go to. They’re the only places that keep kids off the streets. Boxing has saved my life.”

London, UK – 16th November, 2020 – Everlast Worldwide, the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment, announced today that they have signed an exclusive multi-year fight sports equipment and sports apparel deal with the rapidly-rising British boxing talent Conor Benn.

The agreement represents an historic moment for Everlast’s expansion into Europe that sees Benn appointed as the first ever male athlete in the UK to be placed on an apparel agreement.  Benn will wear Everlast’s iconic boxing gloves and specialist boxing apparel in his fights, training and sparring and leisure.

The 24-year-old from Brentwood, Essex, currently holds a perfect 16-0 record with 11 KO’s and is the latest athlete to join Everlast’s elite roster of champions and contenders in the #TeamEverlast family.

Ahead of his highly-anticipated WBA Continental Welterweight title defence this Saturday against German Sebastian Formella at the SSE Wembley Arena, Benn was thrilled to announce the deal.

“I’m delighted to announce our long term partnership.  Everlast are a boxing brand through and through just like the Benn name.” He said.  “Everlast have supported world champions before me and have shown great amounts of belief in me to do the same.  I’m thankful for their support and truly excited for the journey ahead.”

Known as ‘The Destroyer’, boxing is embedded in Benn’s DNA with his legendary father Nigel, a former Two-Time and Two-Weight World Champion, hailed as one of the most exciting boxers Britain has ever produced.

Since turning professional in spring 2016, all-action Benn has quickly established himself as one of British boxing’s most exciting young prospects through a string of entertaining and explosive victories that have made him a fans’ favourite.

Benn is world ranked in the 147lb division that holds some of the world’s best boxers including #TeamEverlast athlete and one of the top pound-for-pound greats, the unified World Champion Errol Spence Jnr.

Chris Zoller, Everlast’s Chief Marketing Officer, said, “Conor is a really exciting athlete and personality whose work ethic and fearlessness represents what we’re all about. We can’t wait to get started and for what the coming years will bring.”

To keep updated on Conor ‘The Destroyer’ Benn and other #TeamEverlast fighters, head to: www.everlast.com/pro-team

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Matchroom Boxing can confirm that Conor Benn’s WBA Continental Welterweight Title clash with former IBO Welterweight World Champion Sebastian Formella will now headline on Saturday November 21 at The SSE Arena, Wembley, with all of the action shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

‘The Destroyer’ (16-0, 11 KOs) scored two big knockout wins in 2019, firstly obliterating Jussi Koivula with a brutal second-round stoppage in his first headline fight at York Hall in June, and then explosively knocking out Steve Jamoye in four rounds at The O2 in October. 

Formella (22-1, 10 KOs) went on a 22-fight winning streak, picking up the IBO Welterweight crown against Roberto Arriaza in January earlier this year, before taking two-time World Champion Shawn Porter the distance in his first career defeat in August. 

After two quick wins on the spin, unbeaten Croat Alen Babic (5-0, 5 KOs) looks to continue his red-hot run of form with another big knockout win, this time against Hatfield’s Tom Little (10-8, 3 KOs), who has been in with some huge punchers including Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois. 

“It’s been a busy period, but I don’t want to rest, I want to fight,” said Babic. “Tom’s a cool guy, he’s a warrior. We’ve exchanged messages on social media but that won’t hold me back, ‘The Savage’ is waiting to be released and score another KO.”

“Alen makes too many mistakes,” said Little. “I’ve boxed at a much higher level and it will show. “I’ll be too much for him, this is too early in his career. I’ve been training for a while now with this fight in the back of my mind, so I’m prepared. The so-called Savage won’t hear the final bell.”

Fresh from winning the English Heavyweight Title with a third-round stoppage of Simon Vallily at Fight Camp, Ipswich talent Fabio Wardley (9-0, 8 KOs) takes on Ghana’s Richard Lartey (14-3, 11 KOs) – a former opponent of Dubois and Nathan Gorman. 

“Lartey’s a great opponent for me at this stage of my career,” said Wardley. “He’s a really strong and durable opponent that will definitely look to test me and take me in to the later rounds. You’ve seen in his previous fights that he’s not shy of a tear up so there may be moments in the fight when I’ll have to bite down on my gum shield and get stuck in, which I can’t wait for!”

Following the disappointment of his fight with Christopher Lovejoy falling through at the last moment, Heavyweight fan favourite Dave ‘White Rhino’ Allen (18-5-2, 15 KOs) returns to the ring looking to end the year on a high.

Also on the card, Leeds Featherweight prospect Hopey Price (3-0, 1 KO) returns after his win over Jonny Phillips on Fight Camp Week 2 and Donnington’s Liam Davies (7-0, 2 KOs) battles Liverpool’s Sean Cairns (7-2, 1 KO) for the English Bantamweight Title. 

Adam Smith,? Sky Sports ?Head of Boxing Development ?said:? “Conor Benn is back, continuing his exciting journey next Saturday night, live on Sky Sports. Of course, we fondly remember his father Nigel, a former World Champion, and we’ve covered Conor’s career since the very start.

“He’s an explosive young talent, so get ready for more fireworks when Conor collides with Sebastian Formella. Britain’s Welterweight division is really heating up with Josh Kelly and Chris Kongo also waiting in the wings – and Benn will be hoping to seize his opportunity to impress on a big stage.

“There’s also a Heavyweight triple-header – Fabio Wardley can enhance his growing reputation against Richard Lartey, while Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic battles Tom Little, and Dave Allen also returns in a thriving top division. It should be another superb evening of action on Sky Sports.”

Conor Benn faces the toughest test of his career on Saturday November 21 when he clashes with former IBO Welterweight World Champion Sebastian Formella on the blockbuster Alexander Povetkin vs. Dillian Whyte 2 undercard, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK. 

Benn (16-0, 11 KOs) scored two big knockout wins in 2019, firstly obliterating Jussi Koivula with a brutal second-round stoppage in his first headline fight at York Hall in June, and then explosively knocking out Steve Jamoye in four rounds at The O2 in October. 

Formella (22-1, 10 KOs) went on a 22-fight winning streak, picking up the IBO Welterweight crown against Roberto Arriaza in January earlier this year, before taking two-time World Champion Shawn Porter the distance in hist first career defeat in August. 

“Formella is a world level operator,” said Benn. “His only loss came against two-time World Champion Shawn Porter. I know a win here will make a huge statement on the world scene. I feel the critics have a lot of unanswered questions and now I have the opportunity to answer them in a globally recognised fight. 

“From the outside this may look like a big step up but I have prepared extremely hard behind closed doors, working on my craft and climbing the ranks for a fight like this! It’s now time to carry the Benn name back to where it belongs and this will be another step closer to the top. Make no mistake, I’m going into this fight to destroy Formella, I want to win in true Benn style.”

“Conor is a strong undefeated man who likes to box at home,” said Formella. “This will not be an easy fight. But it makes me very proud to fight in the UK this year after my debut in the USA. Of course a fight with spectators would have been even better, but to box in the UK at all is great.

“I am looking forward to this challenge. We will have a good tactic to leave the ring as the winner. We will use the short time optimally.“

Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “This is a huge fight for Conor and a monumental step up. We saw Formella tough it out with Shawn Porter a few months ago and he didn’t stop trying for 12 rounds and showed a great chin and a lot of heart.

“I have to give Conor a lot of credit, although he has been inactive, he hasn’t left the gym and feels that after all he has learned, now is the time to take that big leap. This is the fight that can make him a genuine World level contender – it’s sink or swim time November 21!

Benn vs. Formella lands on the undercard of the blockbuster rematch between Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs).

Eddie Hearn:

“Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch ahead of a very important JD NXTGEN. We’ve been all over the world but nothing quite cleanses the soul like a sold out York Hall on a Friday night. So many big important fights, British titles on the line, some of the best young prospects in the sport of boxing, topped off by a great production by Sky Sports in the UK, streamed live across America on DAZN, and then all topped off by a salt beef bagel with mustard at the end. It doesn’t get any better than Friday night at York Hall. We’re going to hear from all of the guys up here on the top and bottom tables. Before we do, I’m going to pass over to Adam Smith, Head of Boxing for Sky Sports.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing:

“Thanks Eddie I echo those words. It’s fantastic being in Madison Square Garden and those wonderful places over in America but there is nothing like the York Hall Bethnal Green. I think all those here today and everyone coming who will pack it out on Friday night, agree with that. There’s no bad seat in the place, the atmosphere is always electric, it’s a special venue. So many fighters have come through, so many great fighters, I remember watching Johnny Tapia there. So many wonderful stories and fights have come out of that wonderful venue. It’s the spit and sawdust of what we do. It’s more than that, it’s the home of boxing. I can’t wait to be back, salt beef bagels and the greasy cafe over the road, all of that stuff, it’s fantastic and we’re going to have a great night on Friday. 

“It’s good to have boxing back on our time, 7 until 11o’clock on a Friday is perfect for us and what a display and array of talent in front of us. Fighters that have go the chance to appear live, to appear on a big platform and we’re going to do everything we can over the next 48 hours to really push these fighters on our digital and social platforms. It’s a big night for Conor Benn headlining for the first time. We all know the story, now we need to see him step up in level and see whether he can deal with that. There’s some real experienced fighters and some great matches on the card as well. Top to bottom it’s going to be an electric night. Enjoy.”

Conor Benn – Ilford, England – 14-0, 9 KOs – defending his WBA Continental Welterweight title against Jussi Koivula:

“As far as my opponent, this is a step-up, I’m not really concerned about what he offers, not at all. It doesn’t faze me what he brings. Yeah he’s got experience, but I’m quicker, I’m younger, I can punch harder.

“Everyone has got a plan until they get punched in the face as they say. He’s been stopped twice, I believe, he’s lost six fights, but he’s been in with some quality opposition, but I believe I’ll be too much for him.

“I really want to bring the old Conor Benn back, I really do. Often after my fights I go ‘I don’t know what shot I caught him with? Well I want the same effect. I really do want to go in there and make a statement with this fight. It’s going to be a good year, each fight I’ve got better.

“Yeah I had a hard fight with that Peynaud, he’s just beat someone who’s had 16 fights and lost one. He’s just beat him. Who would have thought?

“That’s a reality check for me and thank you he hasn’t cost me my O. I went back to the drawing board and learned, and this time I plan on displaying something else. I don’t know who is going to show up. The old Conor Benn or the new one.

“I would have liked to have brought a lot more explosiveness into my last fight. Yeah it’s about staying calm, it’s about ring experience, it’s about mixing it up.

“I’m glad for my last fight, I could show I could box for the full eight and take my time. Now I want to incorporate more of the old Conor Benn. Still thinking, using my boxing brain, but still having that same attitude. I don’t want to lose that Benn attitude.”

Jussi Koivula – Tampere, Finland – 24-6-1, 9 KOs – challengingly Conor Benn for his WBA Continental Welterweight title:

“Thank you. Yes, I am very excited to be here, especially in a place where many great champions have fought before. It’s one of the great atmospheres in boxing so I’m very happy to be here. I expect it to be a good fight and people will be entertained. I think that my timing is better for this fight and I can win this fight because of my experience. It should be a good fight.” 

Ted Cheeseman – Bermondsey, England – 15-1, 9 KOs – defending his British Super-Welterweight title against Kieron Conway:

“This is a very important fight for me, I’m not delusional, if I lose this then it’s finished for me really in boxing. There’s no point in fighting at a level below this. If I go below this then it’s over, you have to build up again. This is a build-up fight.

“I made my own mistakes and wasn’t successful in the last fight. Everyone forgets though, that my last opponent was No. 2 in the world, I stayed in there for 12 rounds, and he couldn’t hurt me.

“I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, I have tunnel vision on boxing. I’m going in there to rip Conway’s head off, I’m not bad-mouthing him but that’s my plan. Sooner or later he gets stopped, the confidence is back. 

“The fight with Scott Fitzgerald is signed, sealed and delivered if I win on Friday night!”

Kieron Conway – Northampton, England – 12-1, 3 KOs – challenging Ted Cheeseman for his British Super-Welterweight title:

“It’s a huge opportunity for me and I’m grateful for it. The odds are massively against me and I’m unsure why. I’m here to win and make history for my town and myself, that’s all I’m here for. I see it as a very good fight. 50-50? I’m not so sure. I think that I should be the favourite. I think it’s more 60-40 in my favour. I don’t see it 50-50 at all but it’s a great fight and I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m proud to be a part of it. I just know that I’m very adaptable and I don’t see that in him. I don’t want to badmouth him. I’m not going to sit here and slate him or anything. I just believe in myself and I’m here to do the business.”

Craig Richards – Crystal Palace, England – 14-1, 8 KOs – defending his WBA Continental Light-Heavyweight title against Andre Sterling:

“I believe that you’ll see an even better performance from me this time. Every time I step in the gym, every week and every day I’m learning and progressing. Obviously the fight with Jake Ball ended a lot earlier than people probably expected. I didn’t get to demonstrate what I had been working on. Since then I’ve come on loads. This is the perfect opportunity, a guy that’s hungry and comes to win, is unbeaten. It will probably give me a chance to go and display some of the stuff that I’ve been working on and show everyone how good I really am. 

“I think he’s a good fighter but I just believe that I’m at the level where I can push on from domestic level and I think this will be the fight to show that. I believe that I’m going to go out and do the job and execute what I need to do on June 21st. 100% I see a stoppage. At 168 I was flat, I was losing my punch power and my energy was down. Even when I was sparring I wasn’t as good, you can see the difference in the gym and the results of my sparring. Nobody has gone past 3 rounds since I went back to the drawing board after stepping up to face Frank Buglioni on short notice. My punch power is a lot different now.”

Andre Sterling – New Cross, England – 10-0, 4 KOs – challenging Craig Richards for his WBA Continental Light-Heavyweight title:

“I’m very grateful for being given a chance on this platform. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do on Friday 21st June. I’m going to deal with Craig Richards. We boxed as amateurs. I believe that I can win every fight that I’m in. Craig Richards is going to come to win and he’s going to come to fight but I don’t think he has enough to deal with me. I believe in my ability and I’ve got a lot of skills that I want to show on June 21st. 

On his heated confrontation with Craig Richards last week:

“Yeah it went viral. We love this sports. This is why we love this sport. You’ve got two passionate fighters that really love what they do and are very dedicated. When we saw each-other the emotions just overwhelmed and we just stood there. He wants to win and I want to win so that’s what it is.”

Duane Sinclair – Thorton Heath, England – 10-0, 4 KOs – fighting Anthony Fox in a Light-Heavyweight contest:

“Thank you for having me on. I’ve done thousands of rounds with Joshua Buatsi, we grew up in the sport together. Make no mistake about it, believe you me, I’m no sparring partner. I’ve just got to go in there and put on a show and show everyone what I’m all about. Like you say I’m undefeated at the moment, I’ve got a good record. I just need to start pressing on and fighting the boys that I can start proving myself against. I’m ready to put on a show.”

Shannon Courtenay – Watford, England – 2-0 – fighting Valerija Sepetovska in a six round Super-Bantamweight contest:

“I boxed there (York Hall) as an amateur, it’s where I won my first belt as an amateur. It’s a good omen for me. I’ve done the Copper Box, I’ve done The O2 and now I’m doing York Hall. I think the only one left after this is Wembley. I’ve had two quite negative opponents that have been quite awkward so far so I’m hoping that I actually have someone who actually comes to want to fight and to let me showcase what I can do. We’ve been working really hard in the gym and this is definitely going to be the best version of me, I’ve never felt stronger and I’m expecting a big explosive performance come Friday night.”

Otha Jones III – Ohio, USA – 1-0 – fighting Michael Horabin in a six round Super-Featherweight contest:

“The plan journey over here was six hours and I was a little bit tired when I arrived but I’m good now. I’m very excited to fight as a pro for the first time in the UK. A lot of fans from the UK show me love on Instagram, this is my first time here and I can’t wait to put on a show and show everyone what I’m really made of. I just want to show everyone that I’m the real deal, and I’m here to stay.”

Charles Frankham – Crowthorne, England – 1-0 – fighting Ilgvars Krauklis in a four round Super-Featherweight contest:

“I’m going to have a lot of support on Friday. This is the first time I’ve ever fought at York Hall. Me and Otha Jones shared the ring as amateurs before and it’s a great bill to be sharing together. My first opponent was a tricky customer, obviously I should have bought a pair of knee pads! He got me some good rounds in and hopefully I’ll be able to put a good show on on Friday.”

Reece Bellotti – Watford, England – 13-2, 11 KOs – fighting Josue Bendana in a six round Featherweight contest:

“It’s the fight game. You can get beat at any moment. You’ve got to be on your game at all times. Obviously I’ve learnt from being beat twice now and I’m looking to come back and gain more experience and then challenge those boys that are pushing on as well. Ryan Walsh is a quality fighter and I felt like I was competitive in there. Looking back on it I probably could have done a lot more. I feel like I could do a lot more and I believe I’m at that level and over time I’ll prove it again.” 

Conor Benn is out to make a statement against Jussi Koivula in his first ever bill topper on the latest instalment of the JD NXTGEN series at Bethnal Green’s historic York Hall on Friday June 21.

‘The Destroyer’ makes the first defence of his WBA Continental Welterweight title against Finland’s Koivula, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, in his second fight back since recovering from a hand injury that kept him out of action for over nine months. 

Koivula (24-6-1, 9 KOs), the no.1 Welterweight in his country, represents a significant step-up for Ilford’s Benn. He took former Errol Spence Jr. and Amir Khan opponent Samuel Vargas the distance at the back end of 2017 and has only been stopped twice in 31 fights. 

Benn, who follows in his father’s footsteps as a headliner at the legendary East London venue, holds no concerns over his opponent’s résumé and believes that he possesses the power to inflict a third knockout loss on the 35-year-old. 

“I know that he’s fought for the EBU European Union title twice and lost on points both times,” said Benn. “He lost on a split decision to Samuel Vargas in Canada, Samuel’s ‘hometown’. His level of opposition doesn’t concern me though because he’s lost six fights and he’s been put down twice, one of them was from a left hook, and the guy who put him down had pillow fists – going by his record.

“I’ll swing with the right hand and if I miss with the right I’ll follow through with a left and if the left lands then it’s goodnight. In this game you can’t say ‘yeah I’m going to go in there and take him out’. I’m just excited to put on a good clean and neat performance, also a calculated one. 

“Let’s see what he brings on the night. His record isn’t bad. It’s a big step up for me but I’m really not concerned. I don’t think he’ll be able to live with my strength, my speed and my youthfulness. My left hook is my money shot. If you get caught with it 93% of my opponents get put down. 64% don’t get back up.

“I’m going to go in there and do what I’ve got to do. I’ve heard he’s a spoiler, he likes to hold and he can switch but I’m really not concerned, I’ve just got to focus on doing my job and doing it well. There’s definitely no pressure headlining because whatever fight I’m in it’s entertaining. There’s no pressure in that sense but I do want to make a statement in this fight.”

Benn vs. Koivula tops a bumper card in East London, Ted Cheeseman (15-1, 9 KO) makes the first defence of his British Super-Welterweight title against Kieron Conway (12-1, 3 KOs), Crystal Palace Light-Heavyweight Craig Richards (14-1, 8 KOs) takes on undefeated former Southern Area champion Andre Sterling (10-0, 4 KOs) in an intriguing all-London Final Eliminator for the prestigious Lord Lonsdale Light-Heavyweight belt, Crowthorne Super-Featherweight Charles Frankham (1-0) looks to make if two wins from two fights, fast-rising Watford Bantamweight talent Shannon Courtenay (2-0) steps up to take part in her first six round contest, former Commonwealth Super-Featherweight champion Reece Bellotti (13-2, 11 KOs) steps through the ropes for the first time since his British title loss to Ryan Walsh and Ohio Lightweight prospect Otha Jones III (1-0) takes part in his second professional contest.

Tickets priced £40, £70 and £130 VIP are available to purchase NOW via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk).

Conor Benn will headline his first ever show when he defends his WBA Continental Welterweight title against Jussi Koivula as the JD NXTGEN series returns to the legendary York Hall in Bethnal Green on Friday June 21, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

Benn (14-0, 9 KOs) follows in the footsteps of his father Nigel, a former two-weight World champion, who headlined against Robbie Sims at the famous East London venue back in 1991, and ‘The Destroyer’ is promising to deliver another explosive performance when he meets the 24-6-1 Fin over ten rounds. 

“It’s a blessing to be headlining a show this early on in my career,” said Benn. “This is the biggest fight of my career to date and it’s definitely a sign of progress. I’m ready to put on an entertaining performance for all of my fans. Everyone knows what my last couple of fights were like at York Hall, it was madness and there’s going to be fireworks again.

“It’s a legendary East End venue. When you’re in there as a fighter it feels like a jungle. Everyone is packed in and they all want to see blood. There’s no other energy like it, it’s on you and you feel like a gladiator. This is about putting on another performance for my supporters and that’s exactly what I’m going to do on June 21.

“It isn’t going to get much worse than the first Peynaud fight, that was an absolute nightmare. It was scarring. I went through the trenches and I’ve never felt anything like that – the heat and fans screaming – it’s like they’re in your corner. I’m ready to go again and put on a beautiful display this time around.”

Bermondsey Super-Welterweight Ted Cheeseman (15-1, 9 KOs) returns to make the first defence of his British title after suffering a tough first career loss to European champion Sergio Garcia earlier in the year.  ‘The Big Cheese’ is determined to bounce back with a win as he eyes a huge domestic showdown with Preston’s Scott Fitzgerald.

Crystal Palace Light-Heavyweight Craig Richards (14-1, 8 KOs) settled his long-standing feud with Jake Ball in February, clinically stopping his rival in three rounds at The O2 after flooring the Surrey man in each round on his way to claiming the WBA Continental title. 

‘Spider’ jumps straight back into another tasty domestic showdown as he takes on undefeated former Southern Area champion Andre Sterling (10-0, 4 KOs) in an intriguing all-London Final Eliminator for the prestigious Lord Lonsdale Light-Heavyweight belt.

Crowthorne Super-Featherweight Charles Frankham (1-0) looks to make if two wins from two fights after making a winning start to life in the professional ranks last week, outpointing Tzemal Xouseinoglou on his long-awaited debut at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham.

Fast-rising Watford Bantamweight talent Shannon Courtenay (2-0) steps up to take part in her first six round contest after racking up wins against Cristina Busuioc at the Copper Box Arena and Roz Silyanova at The O2 last time out.

Former Commonwealth Super-Featherweight champion Reece Bellotti (13-2, 11 KOs) steps through the ropes for the first time since his British title loss to Ryan Walsh on the Dillian Whyte vs. Derek Chisora 2 undercard in December determined to return to winning ways.

Ohio Lightweight prospect Otha Jones III (1-0) takes part in his second professional contest after outpointing Giorgi Gelashvili on his pro debut at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York in March.

Tickets priced £40, £70 and £130 VIP are available to purchase NOW via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk).

Dave Allen stopped former world champion Lucas Browne with one left to the body in their scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout at The 02 Arena in London.

Allen landed a crushing shot that sent Browne to the canvas for the 10 count at 58 seconds of round three.

Allen is 17-4-2 with 14 knockouts.  Browne of Australia is 28-2.

After earning the biggest win of his career to date, ‘White Rhino’ said: “I want more now, I’m greedy. I proved I can punch at the highest level. He’s not what he once was but it’s a very good win. A very good win. This tops the Nick Webb night. The left hook to the body was beautiful.”

Dereck Chisora won a 10-round unanimous decision over Senad Gashi in a heavyweight bout.

Chisora landed some power punches throughout, where Gashi did little more then circle to his left.

Chisora won by scores of 100-90, 100-91 and 99-91 and is now 30-9. Gashi of Kosovo is 17-3.

Josh Kelly won a 10-round unanimous decision over Przemyslaw Runowski in a welterweight contest

In round 10, Kelly decked Runowski with a perfect left.

Kelly won by scores of 100-8 twice and 100-89 and is now 9-0. Runowksi is 17-1.

Joe Cordina remained undefeated by taking out Andy Townend in round six of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout.

Cordina dropped Townend in round six with a flurry of power shots. Moments later, he sent Townend to a knee with an uppercut on the inside. Cordina finished the deal with a hard right and left that sent Townend to a knee again, and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:51.

Cordina of Cardiff, Wales is now 9-0 with seven knockouts. Townend is 22-5.

Conor Benn remained undefeated with a eight-round decision win over Josef Zahradnik in a welterweight bout.

Benn registered a knockdown in round seven with a body shot and won by a referee score of 80-71.

Benn is 14-0. Zahradnik is 10-3.

Conor Benn is itching to get back under the bright lights after recovering from a hand injury that has kept him out of the ring since his explosive rematch with Frenchman Cedrick Peynaud at The O2 in London back in July 2018.

Benn makes his long-awaited return to the ring on April 20’s big Heavyweight double-header in the Capital topped by Dave Allen vs. Lucas Browne and Derek Chisora vs. Senad Gashi to make the first defence of his WBA Continental Welterweight strap.

‘The Destroyer’ raced to 13-0 (9 KOs) before requiring surgery on his injured hand after his summer clash with Peynaud, but the all-action Ilford talent is determined to make the best of a bad situation by returning with a bang later this month.

“By the time fight night comes around it will have been around ten months since my last fight,” said Benn. “It feels good to be back and to have an opportunity to show everyone the progress that I’ve made during my time out of the ring. I’m still young and at this age the progression is rapid. I’m far from my prime and everything happens for a reason.

“Having a few injuries has slowed everything down a bit but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’ve got to look on the positive side of things. During my time out of the ring I’ve been able to work on a lot of things and improve in different areas. Time out of the ring isn’t always bad, it’s how you use that time that’s important.

“Peynaud exposed my lack of defence in both fights but we’ve been able to go away and work on that and many other things in the gym. On April 20 you’re going to see a better and improved version of Conor Benn. I’m learning on the job and I’m only going to get better and stronger as I mature and grow.”

Despite a growing demand for a huge domestic showdown with Rio 2016 Olympian Josh ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly, Benn is keen to remain focused on the job at hand as he looks to climb the Welterweight ladder towards domestic title shots later in the year.

“The main aim for 2019 is to remain undefeated and to be tested in some good entertaining domestic scraps,” he added. “I’ve been unfortunate with injuries so it’s hard for me to look too far into the future but I’d like to get another belt around my waist by the end of the year for sure.

“I’d definitely be interested in going for the British title, why not? I hadn’t seen any of Chris Jenkins until he fought Jonny Garton at the Royal Albert Hall. He looked alright. I was gutted for Jonny because I’m a big fan of his but Jenkins turned up on the night and done the job.

“It would have been nice for me to take the belt off Garton because he sells a lot of tickets and it could have been a much bigger fight. But belts aside, my main focus for this year is learning and developing. Let’s take it one performance at a time and see where it goes.

“The hand is feeling good. It took me a while to get back to hitting properly and not pulling back out of fear of it going again. I’m happy with how my preparation is going for April 20. I’m only 22 and I already feel a lot stronger than I did in my last fight. This is going to be another big year for me.”

Benn returns on a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

At the top of the bill, Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs) and Derek Chisora (29-9, 21 KOs) clashes with Senad Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) in his first fight under new trainer Dave Coldwell.

Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fighting for the second time after winning on her pro debut at the Copper Box Arena last month.

Dave Allen faces the biggest night of his career when he takes on former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne on a huge evening of Heavyweight action at The O2 in London on April 20, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, that sees Finchley bad boy Derek Chisora return to the ring against Senad Gashi after his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte in December.

‘White Rhino’ is in the form of his life after notching successive stoppage wins over Nick Webb, Samir Nebo and Ariel Esteban Bracamonte in the second half of 2018. The Doncaster fans’ favourite rich vein of form began with a “life-changing” fourth round knockout win against Webb at The O2 in July and he hopes to make it three KO’s from three fights at the Greenwich venue next month.

Browne returns to the scene of his sole career loss to Dillian Whyte determined to redeem himself with a big knockout win over cult hero Allen. Since that loss the 28-1 Australian, who’s career-best win came against Ruslan Chagaev in 2016, has bounced back with three wins and he believes another victory on April 20 will fire his name back into the World mix.

“I have never trained so hard in my life,” said Allen. “I’m going to knock Browne spark out, I hit too hard for him. Even though there’s no animosity in the build-up, I want to punch him all over The O2 in to row Z.

“Lucas Browne isn’t the Lucas Browne who beat Chagaev, he’s a faded force. That being said he’s still very dangerous, he does have that power, but this fight is perfect for me. He’s a former World Heavyweight Champion. A win here puts me on the big stage, not the highest level, but within touching distance of a fight that would then put me there.

“To be at the top of the bill at The O2 means loads, the support is something special. I’m unbeaten at The O2 with two huge knockouts and I’m very confident in making it a treble.”

“I’m eager to redeem myself at The O2 and will be coming for a knockout,” said Browne. “I’m a fan of Dave, I have nothing bad to say about him and I’m looking forward to a good old-fashioned brawl on April 20. This is the fight for me to showcase who and what I am to the masses. It’s a blockbuster fight and I know Dave is a big crowd favourite but that will drive me on to silence the fans.

“I’m at the stage in my career where I need to be 100% serious, I’m getting too old to play around. The loss to Whyte was the kick in the butt that I needed and since then I’ve changed my promoter, team, training and general approach to boxing.”

Former World title challenger Chisora came sensationally close to beating Whyte in December. Going into the eleventh round of an exhilarating and brutal fight, Chisora was ahead on two of the judges’ scorecards only to be caught by a devastating left hook.

Having recently teamed up with highly-respected trainer Dave Coldwell, Chisora is feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready to take on any challenges in 2019.

“Six weeks ‘til I go back to WAR and boy I can’t wait!” said Chisora. “On Saturday 20th April I will be stepping into the ring at The O2 with fire in my soul, I have a point to prove and mission to continue!

“Parker b*tched out, he must have taken too many laxatives and sh*t himself. He wasn’t ready for the battle, he reckons he needed more time. Gashi has shown he is a true fighter, he is always ready to go to war when called. He showed this in December when he stepped in the ring with Takam on just one week’s notice and gave him a real fight. I’m not stupid, I know with six weeks’ notice in April Gashi will be a different animal.

“He is a wild horse, a loose cannon, he is coming to win but trust me, he won’t hear the final bell. I’m ready, we’ve stepped things up a gear working hard with Dave Coldwell. April 20th WAR Chisora will be back in London to show the Heavyweight division exactly why retirement wasn’t an option.”

Some of the best up-and-coming talent Britain has to offer get the chance to showcase their skills to the masses once again as Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski.

Cardiff’s ‘Welsh Wizard’ Joe Cordina picked up the Commonwealth Lightweight crown in his last outing against Sean Dodd and he steps up again on April 20 to take on Barnsley ‘KO Kid’ Andy Townend for the vacant Lord Lonsdale belt.

Ilford Welterweight Conor Benn makes his long-awaited return to the ring following a hand injury that kept him out of action since his first title win over Cedrick Peynaud in July, and ‘The Destroyer’ in promising another explosive performance as he looks to pick up where he left off.

“Runowski’s a solid opponent, unbeaten for a reason,” said Kelly. “They breed them tough in Eastern Europe but I’m ready to dismantle him and put on a show for everyone in the crowd and watching at home. It excites me every time I step through the ropes. This year is going to be massive if everything goes to plan. I’ve got to keep my feet firmly on the ground, continue to work and get the results.”

“I’m excited to be back at The O2 for this big Heavyweight double-header,” said Eddie Hearn. “Dave Allen has become a cult hero over the last year but this time he is in deep against former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne. Browne, who lost to Dillian Whyte at the same venue just under a year ago, has bounced back with three wins since and is looking for a shot at one of the big boys. For Dave, this is a dream chance to catapult himself into the big time in a vibrant Heavyweight market.

“Chisora returns after his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte in December against the tough Senad Gashi. Gashi went to war with Takam in December on less than a week’s notice and this time he will be fully prepared in what I believe will be a very tough fight. One of the world’s biggest young talents Josh Kelly defends his WBA title against unbeaten Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and fellow Olympian Joe Cordina will challenge Andy Townend for the vacant British Lightweight title. Unbeaten 147lb star Conor Benn also returns to action following a hand injury as he hunts major domestic titles in 2019.”

David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions said: “On Saturday 20th April Hayemaker Promotions are excited to be back at The O2, the home of British Boxing. Once again working in partnership with Matchroom Boxing, we are looking forward to bringing fight fans an electric night of boxing with showreel knockout endings!

“Derek ‘WAR’ Chisora will be back, on a mission to show the fans exactly what he has in his armoury under new Head Trainer Dave Coldwell. Former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne is set to go toe-to-toe with Dave ‘White Rhino’ Allen and future World Welterweight Champion Josh Kelly is also ready to set the ring alight.”