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.
18:20 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK
4 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
JOHN HEDGES 12st 9lbs 2oz v STANKO JERMELIC 12st 6lbs 6oz
(Takeley, England) (Split, Croatia)
followed by
19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS & DAZN
6 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
NICK CAMPBELL 17st 10lbs 13oz v PETR FROHLICH 16st 2lbs 10oz
(Glasgow, Scotland) (Most, Czech Republic)
followed by
10 x 3 mins WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title
ALEXANDER ESPINOZA 8st 5lbs 8oz v KASH FAROOQ 8st 5lbs 0oz
(Managua, Nicaragua) (Glasgow, Scotland)
followed by
10 x 2 mins vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title
SHANNON COURTENAY 8st 5lbs 14oz v EBANIE BRIDGES 8st 5lbs 0oz
(Watford, England) (New South Wales, Australia)
followed by
10 x 2 mins WBO Middleweight World Title
SAVANNAH MARSHALL 11st 5lbs 10oz v MARIA LINDBERG 11st 0lbs 2oz
(Hartlepool, England) (Malmo, Sweden)
followed by
12 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
CONOR BENN 10st 6lbs 12oz v SAMUEL VARGAS 10st 6lbs 10oz
(Essex, England) (Bogota, Colombia)
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!”
Samuel Vargas Ready For Conor Benn
One of boxing’s true road warriors will travel across the pond on April 10, as Samuel Vargas returns to the ring against top welterweight prospect Conor Benn.
The bout will headline a card aired by DAZN in Canada and the United States, and on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
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.
VARGAS – I’LL BREAK HIM DOWN AND TAKE HIS SOUL
Samuel Vargas has promised to make Conor Benn pay for his “wild” mistakes and says the 24-year-old doesn’t have the experience to deal with him when they meet over twelve rounds for the WBA Continental Welterweight Title this Saturday April 10, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.
Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) is well known on these shores having floored former World Champion Amir Khan before losing on points in a hard-fought battle in September 2018, and the Canadian-Colombian warrior is no stranger to elite level opposition after sharing the ring with numerous quality operators such as Errol Spence and Danny Garcia.
Undefeated Benn impressed last time out in a significant step-up against Germany’s former IBO World Champion Sebastian Formella, but 31-year-old Vargas believes he presents a much harder task for ‘The Destroyer’ and is preparing to inflict a first career loss on the youngster.
“I have taken this fight very seriously,” said Vargas. “I had a great training camp and I worked my ass off. I’m really focused, and I can’t wait to get in there. This is professional boxing. Everyone is a threat. Everyone. Especially at this level.
“He is a strong young fighter. He’s going to come on strong. He looks physically fit all of the time. He seems very wild and makes mistakes that he has to pay for. We’ll meet in the centre of the ring and we’ll find out what he’s about. I’m expecting him to come to war and that’s what I’m prepared for.
“I don’t care what he thinks. They have hopes for him over here, I guess. I don’t see it personally. If he’s underestimating me, then the better it is for me. I expect a lot of fans to tune in and watch the fight. It’s going to be a hell of a show. I’m going to bring the heat. He’s going to do whatever he’s able to do.
“Last time I was here in the UK I came close to closing the show but then I didn’t have enough time left in the round. This time I’m going to bring the same energy and finish the job. I’m going to give Conor a right hand from hell. It would mean a lot to me to win this.
“That’s part of the plan, taking him into the trenches. We’ve got to break him down and take his soul. We’re going to break him down little by little. He doesn’t have the experience to handle that. He’s got to have the same energy that he has in the first round in the ninth and tenth. We’ll see about that.”
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) returns after her win over Hannah Rankin, Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) challenges Alexander Espinoza (20-2-2) for the WBC International Silver Title, Takeley prospect John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October and Glasgow Heavyweight Nick Campbell makes his professional debut.
