Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) says he’ll be ready to face Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) for his IBF welterweight title after his match against Peter Dobson (16-0, 9 KOs) this Saturday, February 3rd in Las Vegas.
If Benn is serious about fighting Boots Ennis, that would seen as being courageous, and it would be a way of being viewed as a legitimate fighter overnight.
Benn says that people view Boots Ennis as the “boogeyman,” but he’s not scared of him and is ready to face him. He says that he’s gotten to where he is today without benefiting from an amateur career the way Boots had it.
What could prevent Benn from getting a fight with Boots Ennis is his promoter, Eddie Hearn, who wants to keep him facing older British fighters, bringing in the money locally. If Hearn gets his way, Benn will run through these Brits in his next three fights:
– Chris Eubank Jr.
– Kell Brook
– Liam Smith
For non-British fans, they’ll see those three as similar-level fights for Benn as his previous ones against Chris Van Heerden, Chris Algieri, Samuel Vargas, and Adrian Granados.
Benn Challenges Ennis Directly
“I’ve been calling the name, and I know you’ve seen me calling the name. To me, Jaron, no problem,” said Conor Benn to the media when asked about his thoughts on fighting Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, the IBF welterweight champion.
“They’re saying he’s the boogeyman, and everyone is scared. No one is scared. No one is scared over here anyway. For me, he’s a great fighter, talented, extremely gifted, and you can’t knock that.
Benn’s Confidence in His Experience
“For someone that has had so much amateur experience [Boots] and someone who hasn’t, I still feel ready for that fight. The pro game is a different game. If I had 33 fights. I fought Van Heerden in my 19th fight, and I did exactly the same thing.
Open to Big Fights
“When Vergil Ortiz fought Samuel Vargas, I done the exact same thing if not quicker. When Shawn Porter fought Sebastian Formella, I did exactly the same thing but better. So, that’s my comparison. So, I’m ready for those sorts of fights.
“If those fights are presented to me, I’ll take them. We offered [Mario] Barrios the fight. We offered [Jose] Ramirez the fight. [Yordenis] Ugas the fight and [Keith] Thurman the fight. Let’s make all these fights. I’ll come to the States.”
