Welterweights Conor Benn and Chris van Heerden faced off at the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s action at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, shown live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).
Conor Benn: “I knocked out Algieri out like no one else has. I’m going to knock Van Heerden out like no one else has…it’s not emotion, I just fight with passion. I work extremely hard and it ain’t just me working hard. It’s six years of sacrifice to let a moment like this slip between my fingers.”
Chris van Heerden: “I do believe I am a better boxer than Conor, all around better boxer. He’s an angry, aggressive fighter. He’s a fighter. I’m a boxer. And I do believe that I have the skill to show that I am a better boxer than Conor.”
This will be a good test for the younger lion fighting at home against the veteran van Heerden. I expect van Heerden to come in using his delicately timed jab to the body, frustrating Conor to get more aggressive. Conor will try to use his length and box to a decision but I think with his well conditioning regime and good fight camp, van Heerden will score a late knock out and force a rematch.
Time for Benn to fight a live body, Van Heerden is shot..