Home Boxing News Conor Benn promises to retire Amir Khan “as nicely as possible”

Conor Benn promises to retire Amir Khan “as nicely as possible”

Conor Benn

Welterweight contender Conor ‘The Destroyer’ Benn 18-0 (12) has promised to send former two-weight world champion Amir Khan 34-5 (21) into retirement with one punch.

The 24-year-old Benn is coming off a first-round knockout victory over hardnosed Canadian-based Colombian Samuel Vargas 31-7-2 (14) at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday night.

Now Benn is looking to capitalise on that victory with a fight against the 34-year-old Khan, who he believes he can knockout.

“Without a question,” Benn told Sky Sports. “I’m only getting stronger and it’s proven I’m getting stronger.

“I’ve just got to land one. I’ve just got to land one in those 12 rounds and as soon as I smell the blood, he ain’t going nowhere.”

Khan doesn’t seem quite as keen on the matchup without some sort of title on the line.

“Conor well done,” he posted on Twitter after the fight. “Great kid, wish him the best. At his age I was a world champ. Maybe if he had some belts that fight would make sense but he’s got a long way to go yet.”

Another potential option is former IBF champion Kell Brook 39-3 (27) but Benn isn’t keen on the fight.

“I’d rather Amir, 100 per cent,” said Benn.

“He’s [Brook] spoke to me about tonight and what he thought was going to happen, so with Kell it’s different.

“Khan, again someone I look up to, someone who has achieved everything I want to achieve in the sport, but I would like to beat him and gain his experience.

“I’d like to send him out to retirement, nicely. As nice as possible, anyway.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn is down for the fight.

“Conor Benn against Amir Khan is probably one of the easiest fights to sell I’ll ever take part in,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

“What an intriguing fight. A young kid coming up, as you can tell, is rather amped and charged against a guy that is really at the end of his career and has a fantastic legacy in the sport.

“Whether Amir Khan will say, ‘I want to bow out to a young man coming through the ranks like Conor Benn.’

“That’s up to him and money will talk in that respect. For me, I want to get him back out as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Benn’s trainer Tony Sims says he wants his young charge to take a couple more fights before a potential bout against veteran Khan.

“I’ve already been speaking to Eddie [Hearn] about his next fight,” Sims told Sky Sports. “We’re going to sit down and talk.

“Not quite yet, but obviously the Khan fight is a big fight on TV and perhaps down the line. Maybe even by the end of the year, if Eddie can make that.

“But I want a couple more fights with him before that sort of big fight like that.”