Let’s face it. Conor Benn’s a full package. Outside the ring, Benn’s aggressive persona and no-nonsense demeanor intrigue fans and critics alike. Inside the ring, talking loudly, his fists reveal a side of him that casual observers often overlook. With 14 of his 23 wins coming by knockout, Benn is seen by many as a serious threat to Chris Eubank Jr., despite the weight difference, as the two gear up for an epic clash at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Perhaps no one knows the sting of Benn’s power better than former titleholder Chris Algieri, who retired after suffering a fourth-round knockout loss to him in 2021. Even Claressa Shields, boxing’s lone three-division undisputed champion, took notice. After watching footage of that fight shared by Ring Magazine, she couldn’t help but praise Benn’s prowess. Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and multi-division world champion, is known for often going the distance with her opponents. But she also knows exactly what it takes to deliver a clinical beatdown inside the ropes. Eubank Jr. and Benn will face off in a non-title, 160-pound catchweight bout, streamed live on DAZN, and supported by a stacked undercard of exciting matchups.

Conor Benn: He’s not someone you want to take lightly

Claressa Shields, with a wide-eyed emoji, summed it up best: “👀 he got hands.” Her reaction followed Ring Magazine’s post featuring the knockout sequence of Conor Benn’s brutal finish of Chris Algieri. In Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, Benn pummeled Algieri into submission, closing the show with a crisp straight right set up perfectly by a lead jab. It was back on July 28, 2018, roughly two years after his professional debut, that Conor Benn claimed the vacant WBC (Continental Europe) welterweight title. The bout with Algieri marked his seventh successful title defense. Four months later, in April 2022, Benn defended his belt for the last time against Chris van Heerden.

Interestingly, in October that year, Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. had their fight scheduled. But that highly anticipated showdown collapsed due to a doping controversy. The fact was not lost on fans who responded to Claressa Shields’ tweet. Some of them were quick to bring it up.

Still, putting the light-hearted banter aside, it’s clear that Conor Benn isn’t leaving anything to chance this time. He’s moving up to fight at a 160-pound catchweight, two full weight classes above his usual division. And by all accounts, he’s been preparing for it with real intent.

Dialed in and going full throttle

Reports suggest Benn has been sparring with seasoned middleweight and super middleweight fighters to prepare for the size and strength of Eubank Jr. And if what his legendary father, Nigel Benn, said recently holds true, Conor Benn is handling himself just fine. Speaking with iFL TV’s Kugan Cassius, Nigel Benn described how his son handled sparring partners like Bruno Surace and Denzel Bentley. Most significantly, he forced William Scull, who faces none other than Canelo Alvarez next weekend, to call it off.

As the sparring session reached the eighth round, the Cuban-born Scull failed to match his quicker opponent’s pace. “What did he do? Stop sparring, William Scull,” said Nigel Benn. “And these are all like light heavies. They weren’t, like, you know, they weren’t, like, you know, at weight. He’s not at weight yet, but I’m telling you the truth, Connor put it on him. He couldn’t even come out for the eighth round, God is my witness.”

If Conor Benn has impressed someone like Claressa Shields, perhaps it’s time Team Eubank Jr. took note.

Between Eubank Jr. and Benn, who’s your pick for Saturday’s clash?