CONOR BENN lived up to his “Destroyer” moniker and savaged Samuel Vargas in just 80 seconds at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday (April 10).
Benn came out with a sharp jab, catching Vargas early. The Canadian could not stem Benn’s attacks and Conor did not hesitate to open up. He crashed heavy rights in, catching Vargas flush. Benn slammed a straight one-two through his guard and soon was driving Vargas across the ring and into the ropes. There he unleashed combinations, an uppercut tipping Vargas’ head up, Conor’s right slamming down again.
The referee Michael Alexander had been hovering close by and stepped in to end it.
Vargas seemed displeased with the ending, but he was pinned on the ropes and letting shots blast into him without throwing anything back himself.
Vargas did lose to top prospect Vergil Ortiz in his previous fight but did last seven rounds with the American. So the speed with which Benn secured the finish catches the eye.
“Statement made,” Benn said afterwards. “No one banged him out in one round. Easy.
“He was there to be hit. So I hit him.”
“Give me a proper test, give me Amir Khan,” he continued. “I can cope with it because I’m built for it.”
Savannah Marshall made a defence of her WBO middleweight title on the undercard. 44-year-old Maria Lindberg came in at short notice and Marshall duly dispatched her inside three rounds.
Shannon Courtenay outpointed Ebanie Bridges to win a vacant WBA bantamweight world title. Bridges however was a five fight novice who has only beaten one opponent with a winning record. Courtenay therefore still has more to prove.