Bloodied Benn cruises to points win over Prograis

A bloodied Conor Benn continued his march towards a world title shot with a points victory over a faded Regis Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 29-year-old Briton had to contend with cuts above both eyes from head clashes midway through the fight, but used his youth, energy and size to edge a messy but hard-fought contest.

Former world champion Prograis, 37, landed some clean shots of his own but the American struggled for rhythm as the bout progressed, with all three judges awarding it 98-92 to Benn.

The contest was staged at a catchweight of 10st 12lb (69kg), 3lb above the welterweight limit where Benn now hopes to target a world title.

It was Benn's first outing since his much-publicised two fights with Chris Eubank Jr last year, and since parting ways with lifelong promoter Matchroom, having signed a high-profile one-fight deal with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing outfit in February.

Benn outworks a faded Prograis

Image caption,

Prograis seemed to be carrying a leg injury in the fight

Returning to the venue of his two fights with bitter rival Eubank Jr - both contested at middleweight - Benn was met with an emotional reception as he walked to the ring, underlining his status as one of British boxing's most polarising figures.

Jeers and cheers echoed around the stadium as 'The Destroyer', accompanied by his legendary father Nigel, shadowboxed his way to the ring to a string orchestra.

Benn's career was halted for two-and-a-half years after he failed a drug tests in 2022. Although he was later cleared by an anti-doping panel and denies any wrongdoing, questions continue to linger among sections of critics.

When the action began, Benn rocked Prograis with a right hand in the closing seconds of the first round, briefly buckling the American's legs.

Prograis was rumoured to be carrying an injury into the fight and did not appear to move fluidly, his back leg looking somewhat stiff at times.

He leaned on his vast experience and remained elusive, but struggled to land clean counters as Benn consistently outworked him in the early exchanges.

A clash of heads in the fourth round caused a small cut above Benn's right eye. He responded with uppercuts and body shots on the inside, while southpaw Prograis shook his head and replied with a straight left.

Prograis has spent much of his career campaigning at light-welterweight, 10lb lighter than this contest.

Another clash of heads in the sixth opened up a cut above Benn's left eye. Prograis landed a straight left in the seventh, which wobbled Benn momentarily, before the Essex fighter responded with a series of hooks on the inside.

Benn's former promoter Eddie Hearn, watching from the front row after their bitter split, looked on as the contest drifted increasingly towards the scorecards.

What next for polarising Benn?

Image caption,

Benn is targeting a fight with Ryan Garcia next

Benn's surprise move away Hearn - who had staunchly defended him throughout his legal battles - drew accusations of disloyalty from some quarters, even if it reportedly earned the fighter a staggering £11m.

Yet commercially, Benn's drawing power remains undeniable. In the domestic market he is arguably the biggest active attraction behind only Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Backed by UFC chief White and Saudi Arabian investment, Zuffa Boxing has a disruptive agenda. White has spoken openly about sidelining the traditional sanctioning bodies - the WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA - in favour of establishing the Zuffa belt as the sport's premier title alongside the Saudi-owned Ring Magazine championship.

Whether Benn will remain aligned with White's new venture or eventually returns to the traditional promotional structure remains unclear, with this contest understood to have been part of a one-fight agreement.

While Benn's ambition to emulate his father by becoming a world champion remains unchanged, how he pursues that goal may now define the next phase of his career.

Benn has repeatedly called out unpredictable WBC champion Ryan Garcia - a fight that would probably be the most lucrative option available.

However, with Garcia holding one of boxing's traditional world titles, staging that contest under the Zuffa banner would appear unlikely under the promotion's current vision of operating outside the sanctioning-body system.

Assessing Benn's commercial pull on the back of this event is also difficult. Prograis is past his peak and was not viewed by many as a particularly credible opponent.