Tonight on the Ricky Burns-Michelle Di Rocco card in Glasgow, Scotland, 19-year-old super-lightweight Conor Benn won his second pro bout with a four-round points win over Luke Keleher. Benn was unable to get the KO he seemed desperate to get, but he won the exciting if scrappy affair with his sheer, sometimes quite reckless aggression. 29-year-old Keleher, who did well not to be overwhelmed and indeed gave as good as he got in a couple of the all-action rounds, falls to 2-5-1(1), he has not yet been stopped as a pro. Benn won by the sole scoring official’s card of 40-36 but Keleher may feel aggrieved not to have been awarded at least one even round.
Benn, who has inherited his famous former world champion father’s desire to send the paying fans home happy, came out like a train and showed absolutely no interest in defence. Tonight, against a non-puncher, it didn’t matter, but Benn is going to have to learn patience as well as practice avoiding punches and not leaving himself so open in his future fights. Benn may or may not have a great chin, but it’s still way too early to tell. Benn was caught cleanly a few times tonight, perhaps worryingly so, but Keleher is no banger. In any case, it sure will be exciting following the career and progression of the teenager who says he would fight every week or two if he could.
Benn will stay active, being scheduled to fight next on June 25th, on the big Anthony Joshua-Dominic Breazeale card in London at The O2. Benn will face TBA, but once again it seems certain he will be doing his utmost to lay out his opponent. In the case of Benn Senior, as fight fans may recall, a bad defeat was required before “The Dark Destroyer” forced himself to learn superior technique, and he did come back from his loss to Michael Watson as a better fighter.
It’s embryonic days in the career of the new Benn, though, and it’s anyone’s guess how far he can go.