The trainer of one of Conor Benn’s previous opponents has hit out at the Brit and made his opinions clear on the seemingly endless saga involving the British Boxing Board of Control and UKAD, detailing why he is suspicious of the controversial fighter.
Benn knocked Chris Algieri out in just the fourth-round of their fight in Liverpool in December 2021, in what was one of Benn’s most dominant performances to date.
That victory was followed up by a similarly aggressive and one-sided stoppage victory over Chris van Heerden, before the rising superstar tested positive for Clomifene ahead of his grudge match with Chris Eubank Jr.
Algieri’s trainer Derek Santos explained why he believes Benn was capable of stopping his man at the time.
“Under different circumstances the fight with Chris would have gone differently, look at Manny Pacquiao, an eight-time world champion, he dropped Chris several times and every time he got up. All of a sudden, this guy who is not known to be a knockout puncher, knocks him out completely.
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“People really need to look at the facts, Conor Benn knocked out Chris Algieri and Chris van Heerden, two guys who had only been stopped once each in 30 plus fights.
“Since his failed test he’s had two fights in America and he doesn’t look anything like the killing machine he did against Chris, he’s no longer knocking anybody down. Where’s the explosiveness gone? Why is there such a drastic difference?
“In his last two fights, he has gone the distance against lesser fighters than Chris, which in itself speaks volumes. With no disrespect to them, they were lesser fighters than the ones he was knocking out.”
Benn’s problems with the BBBofC are still ongoing, after the governing body won their appeal against the National Anti-Doping Panel’s decision to lift the welterweight from his suspension, meaning that ‘The Destroyer’ is unlikely to be returning to fight on British shores any time soon.
“The cut could play a big factor in the fight. Has that massive cut managed to properly heal? It can make sparring difficult, you’d be cautious to open it up again. It’s a predicament.
“Whilst Usyk is doing everything the right way, is Tyson doing his camp at 85 percent of what he would have been doing before he got the cut? Only his close team will know. Usyk is undoubtedly going to be targeting that cut.
“I want the British man to win 100 percent, but if you’re a betting man you’d have to think: this is the cut he had against Otto Wallin and it’s going to come back again. I think Tyson is going to have to box on his back foot. But then again he might drop Usyk with an uppercut.”
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