- Son of former two-weight world champion wins in four rounds
- Benn Sr delights in stoppage of veteran American welterweight
Conor Benn took a significant step up the ranks of the welterweight division, which is the most competitive category in contemporary boxing, when he stopped the American veteran Chris Algieri with a finish of clinical brutality near the end of the fourth round in Liverpool on Saturday night. It was a devastating stoppage, which was greeted ecstatically by Nigel Benn, Conor’s father, who roared his approval at ringside.
Almost as impressively, the 25-year-old Benn boxed with a new maturity and calm throughout the contest. He also showed good defence as he slid away from Algieri’s punches with such alacrity that the crowd responded with appreciative applause. But from the outset, the contest looked one-sided as Benn backed Algieri against the ropes. The older fighter stuck his tongue out in the opening round as if he had nothing to fear but at the break his cornermen were already trying to curb the swelling around his eyes.
