CONOR BENN hopes to lure Amir Khan into a domestic dust-up and a passing of the British welterweight torch.
Khan is one of the most decorated stars on these shores both as an amateur and professional, but enters the final stage of his career.
Benn – son of legendary ex-champion Nigel – on the other hand is one of the nation’s next leading boxing hopes.
A fight between the pair would offer a fascinating contrast in experience and form between two men on different trajectories.
And Here SunSport compares both Khan, 34, and Benn, 24, ahead of a potential pay-per-view blockbuster between the pair.
Amir Khan
Khan burst onto the scene after winning a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Within four years of his 2005 debut, he became lightweight champion before moving up to win light-welterweight titles.
A controversial split-decision loss to Lamont Peterson – where he was deducted two points – and a KO defeat against Danny Garcia knocked the Brit’s confidence.
As Khan moved up in weights, so did his level in competition but never again did he reign as world champion.
He made the shock jump to face middleweight king Canelo Alvarez from welterweight in 2016 and was left brutally knocked out.
From then, it was a re-building job for Khan, who took a two year layoff and featured on ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’.
After two tune up bouts, Khan fought Terence Crawford but was stopped in five rounds, unable to continue from a low blow.
He did return to beat Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia, and continues to maintain that he wants to carry on his career with big fights to be had.
In his prime, Khan had frightening speed and footwork, capable of overwhelming opponents and by Benn’s age was unified champ.
But those vital assets look to have taken a knock in recent year, leaving the question of how much the veteran welterweight has left.
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Conor Benn
Benn debuted in 2016 to much fanfare due to the iconic career of his dad, but only had a limited amateur background in Australia.
Immediately he became an exciting talent to watch, fighting with aggression and little caution.
Benn suffered his first scare in 2017 when he was twice dropped by French kickboxer Cedrick Peynaud.
Still, the 147lb contender fought back to win on points with two knockdowns of his own, and won the rematch a year later in far more convincing fashion.
Under the guidance of esteemed head trainer Tony Sims, Benn has gone from strength to strength, showcasing massive improvement.
His points win against ex-IBO champion Sebastian Formella was the clearest example of his development, easily cruising to a ten-round decision.
But in his next fight, he topped the lot by blasting out experienced campaigner Samuel Vargas in just 80 seconds.
Even Khan was taken to the scorecards by the tough Canadian-Colombian, and hard-hitter Virgil Ortiz won in seven.
Benn’s work rate, power and improved ring IQ has propelled him from raw novice to a genuine top contender.
Beating an experienced star or former world champion would take Benn to the next level and cement himself as a future pay-per-view attraction.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
