Conor Benn relishing second pro bout after explosive debut
Wednesday 20 April 2016 15:19, UK
Conor Benn is eager to follow up his impressive debut and will reportedly feature on the undercard of Ricky Burns' world title challenge on May 28 - live on Sky Sports.
The 19-year-old took his professional bow at a packed O2 on the night Anthony Joshua became a world champion and wasted no time in dispatching Ivailo Boyanov with a vicious first-round body shot.
Benn's enthusiastic assault bore the hallmarks of the fighting style favoured by his legendary father, Nigel Benn, and 'The Destroyer' is now eagerly awaiting the chance to showcase himself further in his next assignment.
He told Sky Sports: "It still feels like a dream. It's an unbelievable feeling. I was quite scared but then what was the point of being scared? I've done all the hard work and the best I can.
The British public made me feel at home. For them to back me the way they have is another good feeling. I just can't wait for more nights like that
"I thought: 'This is it, and this is it for the rest of my life.' I've got to learn to work with it and embrace it instead of being scared and letting my nerves get the better of me.
"The British public made me feel at home. For them to back me the way they have is another good feeling. I just can't wait for more nights like that and there are plenty more to come.
"I'll carry on sticking it on guys the way I did. If it isn't working, then I'll revert to boxing. I'll come forward because nobody likes pressure. I know I can do six rounds at pace and if I can do that, I don't see it going six rounds.
"I said to my trainer Tony Sims I was going to 'skip and rip' with that body shot. I said to Tony I was going to finish him by skipping and ripping to the body, then finish him off to the head. That's what happened, so it was quite funny.
"We watched my dad's debut earlier that day and there was no comparison - my debut was way better than his! My dad's was all over the gaff. I took too many punches and was stiffer than normal but that's to be expected in front of 20,000 people."
Following his victory, Benn broke out into an impromptu dance with his father in the ring.
Having previously threatened to send 'The Dark Destroyer' back to Australia if he followed his former rival Chris Eubank in dancing at his son's boxing events, Conor added: "If you watch Eubank dance and then you watch my dad dance, it's completely different.
"My dad's got absolute swagger! I let it slide. He taught me those moves - he's always had moves!"
