Conor Benn comes out on top against Regis Prograis after ferocious battle

Benn got the unanimous decision against Prograis at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Benn won seven of the rounds against the American as he proved himself against a bonafide world level competitor in the Co-main event on Saturday night. 

Conor Benn went into this fight at an all time high after his biggest win against Chris Eubank Jr in November last year at 160 pounds.

Now sporting a much leaner physique, this fight was contested at a weight at 150 pounds, which the British man campaigned for.

As for Prograis, at 37 years old, the former two time world champion is on his last legs, and entered the lion’s den with one last chance to remind the world of his name. With eight more fights and over 50 more rounds under his belt than Benn, Rougarou was also involved in five title fights.

The pre-fight narrative from Prograis’ camp was that Benn’s journey into the fight game was credited to nepotism, as Benn’s father, Nigel Benn was a two-weight world champion, and a hall of fame inductee.

However, Layla Ali, the daughter of the great Muhammad Ali said during punditry duties that he has carved his own name in the boxing world.

As the American made his way to the ring, he sported a colourful yet menacing mask signalling a strong statement of intent ahead of the fight.

The fight started fast, with Benn leading strongly with his tight hand, he finished the first round extremely well after he buckled Prograis’ legs at the bell with a looping right hand at the side of the head.

With Benn being the more active puncher halfway through the second round, most of the Britishman’s attempts evaded Prograis, with the American finding occasional openings to snipe his way in.

By the time the fight entered the fourth round, Benn was leading the rounds emphatically with his pure activity and fast jab. However due to Benn’s repetitive movements and lack of adjustments at the time of the fight, Prograis found a few openings, which included a right hand to the head as well as an accidental head clash which opened a wound on top of the British man’s eye.

The fight intensified at the midway point of the fight with Prograis inviting pressure from Benn as they traded heavy shots in close quarters.

A large opened around Benn’s other eye, which impaired his vision following another head clash, however that did slow the Englishman’s activity down as he still finished the round on top.

In the seventh round, the fighters kept getting tangled up, with Benn dominating the inside with ripping body shots and fast combinations which drained Prograis.

The last round started as fast as the first round, as Prograis was pushed to the canvas within the first 10 seconds.

The American, who has never been stopped, still remained present after withstanding some heavy blows from the home favourite.

Benn got the unanimous decision after a ferocious and brave showing from both men.

After the 10 round battle, Benn now sets his sights on the welterweight division as he continues adjusting back to the lower weights.

Potential fights against Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero and Devin Haney are on the horizon. Despite not getting the knockout, at 25-1, Benn’s momentum carries on.

As for Prograis, he has officially announced his retirement from the sport.