Conor Benn will take the next step on his road to potential superstardom when he faces Chris Van Heerden in Manchester on April 16.
‘The Destroyer’ brings a perfect 20-0 pro record (13 wins inside distance) to the table as he defends his WBA Continental Welterweight title against the 28-2-1 South African.
The showdown at the AO Arena adds further spice to what is an incredible April boxing schedule, topped off by that Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte rumble on April 23.
Benn is coming off an impressive KO of Chris Algieri in Liverpool last December, and is now ranked in the top 10 by the WBA, WBO and IBF at 147lbs.
Now for the world says Benn
The 25-year-old is now hoping 2022 will be a true breakout year as he looks to move towards a potential world-title shot.
He said: "Van Heerden is a tough operator and a southpaw who will be in there giving it his all in every round. For me and my team it’s now about fighting every style that we can face as we continue to head towards World Championship status and Van Heerden brings something different to the table than I’ve not faced before.
"With that being said this is another stepping stone for me on my journey to the top, I haven’t seen anything in Van Heerden’s previous fights that I can’t deal with, and I expect another explosive victory on April 16.
Manchester loves Conor, and it’s mutual
“If he comes to fight or he wants to box, I can deliver that smoke either way! The AO Arena has to be one of the most exciting venues to fight in. I love Manchester. I get shown a lot of love and support up in Manchester - it’s a fighting city. I bring the entertainment every time I fight and I can’t wait for April 16.”
The undercard of the DAZN show will be topped by European Cruiserweight Champion Chris Billam-Smith (14-1, 10 KOs) in his rematch with Belfast’s former champion Tommy McCarthy (18-3, 9 KOs) following their epic battle at Matchroom Fight Camp last summer.
‘The Gentleman’ withstood a late fightback from McCarthy as he edged out a narrow split points decision to add the British and European Cruiserweight Titles to his Commonwealth Title.
