The Conor Benn hype train is really gathering pace now and his development faces a thorough examination against Samuel Vargas in London on Saturday.
Son of British boxing legend Nigel, Benn is now beginning to step out of his father's huge shadow and people are starting to take him very seriously following a career-best performance against Sebastian Formella in November.
In what was by far his toughest test to date against a man who had gone the distance with Shawn Porter in his sole defeat three months earlier, the 24-year-old really shone in his first major headline bout as he outboxed and outgunned the German on his way to a shut-out on the cards to make it 17 straight wins. It was a performance that got people excited about how far he could go in the sport and Vargas should be a very good test of his credentials.
The last time Vargas was on these shores, he gave Amir Khan a huge fright in September 2018, dropping the heavy favourite in the second round and then hurting him badly just before the bell sounded for the end of the 10th. Vargas ultimately lost a wide decision, but that highlights the much better company he has mixed in having also been in with world champions Errol Spence Jr and Danny Garcia, along with red-hot prospect Vergil Ortiz Jr last time. He may have been stopped by the latter trio, but competing against world-class operators will stand him in good stead at this level and he will fancy his chances of springing an 8/1 surprise by having too much nous for the 1/10 favourite.
More Covid-19 chaos means Savannah Marshall now makes the first defence of her world title against late replacement Maria Lindberg and is expected to dominate to justify the quotes of 1/33, so there is more interest in the other female championship bout on the card between SHANNON COURTENAY and Ebanie Bridges.
It should have been a fascinating rematch between Courtenay and Rachel Ball but the latter didn't recover from coronavirus in time and somehow Bridges now finds herself fighting for a vacant world title after just five outings. We won't open that can of worms of how and why, but the Australian has faced pretty moderate opposition to date and it was no surprise to see the sharks ready to pounce when the odds for Courtenay were chalked up earlier in the week. Now a top price of 1/6, the burning question from a punting perspective is can she get the stoppage (5/6), or will she need the judges if she's to claim her first title (5/2)?
Courtenay bounced back from her sole, and hotly-debated, defeat to Ball by stopping Dorota Norek in December and the move down to bantamweight appeared to suit the aggressive Watford native. She boasts the physical and experience advantages and not only will she be suited by the come-forward nature of Bridges, but it should also make for an exciting contest. That is probably why the stoppage is odds-on, but the two-minute round format of the women's game make early wins hard to come by and there is every chance we will see the full 10 sessions here. Courtenay to win in the second half is tempting at 15/8, but a decision victory for the likeable local is where the value appears to lie.
Posted at 1130 GMT on 09/04/21
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