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As Conor Benn awaits the announcement of his next opponent, he seems to be already preparing in the gym with his trainer Tony Sims.
The 25-year-old welterweight contender is now 21-0 after steamrolling Chris van Heerden in his last bout. Benn earned an emphatic victory over van Heerden in April, stopping the South African in the second round to retain the WBA Continental Welterweight Title.
Following Benn's brutal knockout victory, his promoter Eddie Hearn recently claimed he will be looking to remove the 'stabilizers' from his client's career moving forward. A potential opponent that's been spoken about is former Unified Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman.
Boxing Social recently spoke with Benn's trainer Tony Sims where they asked him if Thurman is the man he'd like 'The Destroyer' to fight next. Sims responded:
"Yeah, I think Conor Benn vs. Keith Thurman would be a big fight on a world scene because besides [Errol] Spence and [Terence] Crawford, Thurman's probably the next biggest name. If that fight gets made, it gets ordered by the WBO and then obviously we'll be in line to take that fight."
When asked if Thurman would be a "breakout" fight for Benn, Sims stated:
"Yeah, Thurman's probably the third biggest name in the welterweight division. He reigned for a long time as a world champion. I think Conor Benn is ready to fight the likes of him now and if that fight gets made, we'll obviously take it."
Keith Thurman, 33, returned to the ring in February where he defeated Mario Barrios via unanimous decision in Las Vegas. The victory was Thurman's first fight back after losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2019.
As 'One Time' looks to climb his way back to the top of the division, he may first have to get past the exciting Conor Benn. The Brit will himself be looking to climb the divisional ladder with a win over the former WBA and WBC Welterweight Champion.
Thurman has only one career defeat out of 32 professional bouts. If the fight gets made, the challenge will be a huge step up for the Brit. The younger man's record is still clean as he is an impressive 21-0 with 14 knockouts.
Watch Sims' full interview here:
Is Conor Benn ready for the step up in his career?
Benn's recent victories suggest that the young Brit is more than ready to step up to the world stage. The 25-year-old has expressed his frustration over how easy his wins have been and is portraying high confidence in his ability.
'The Destroyer' will look to follow in his father Nigel's footsteps and push for a world title eventually. However, for now, the heavy-hitter looks ready to make the step up and fight other title contenders.
A fight against Keith Thurman looks like a logical choice for all parties and will create a huge opportunity for Benn to showcase his skills against a proven former titlist.
Watch Conor Benn's most recent victory over van Heerden here:
