Conor Benn wins by unanimous decision vs Peter Dobson to extend unbeaten record
Conor Benn earned an impressive yet hard-fought win over Peter Dobson in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Both fighters went into the welterweight clash at the Chelsea Ballroom in the Cosmopolitan Hotel unbeaten, with Benn extending his own record to 23 victories without loss, while Dobson suffered his first defeat in 17 fights,
Benn, who was fighting in the United States for a second time in recent months as he continues to try and clear his name in the UK following his drugs controversy, eventually proved too strong for American Dobson, dominating the scorecards 119-109, 118-110, 118-110 despite being taken the distance.
'The Destroyer' was made to work for his win against the Bronx native, who soaked up Benn's punches and gave him the tough battle many had predicted.
Benn, sporting black and red trunks, had sent a message to his rival in the lyrics to his ringwalk music before the fight had even started. "Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide."
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And from the opening bell the Brit stalked Dobson around the ring, catching him with a fierce left hook early on. The fleet-footed Benn was too quick for his opponent from the off and landed some heavy blows as the difference in class looked apparent.
The second round was more of the same as Dobson approached with caution and was merely a sitting duck for Benn, who delivered a vicious one-two combo with an overhand right that clearly registered with his opponent.
But Dobson rallied in the third with signs he wouldn't be an easy win on Benn's record, landing an overhand right of his own at the end of the round to bring some encouragement.
Dobson took the Brit to points but Benn dominated the bout (Getty Images)Benn responded furiously, trapping Dobson in the corner and unleashing a flurry of shots as if his rival had just poked the bear. Yet again Dobson returned with a solid right-hand which served as a warning, despite Benn largely having control.
The turning point looked to have come in the fifth round as both fighters began trading blows in a more even contest. Dobson forced Benn back to the ropes before landing a straight right, producing an almost carbon copy shot in the centre of the ring moments later.
Benn struck back with a decent left hook at the start of the sixth but Dobson was not deterred, stepping forward and standing his ground even as the Brit caught him with successive right-hands. Benn was then warned by the referee about standing up quickly when under his opponent and was visibly panting heavily as he returned to his stool.
But any suggestions he was tiring were quickly allayed when he exploded out of the blocks in the seventh, backing Dobson into the corner and firing off a succession of hard-hitting blows, just as his corner had asked of him.
Benn was too quick for his opponent and maintains his unbeaten record (Getty Images)Benn started the next round in the same fashion, attacking on the front foot with venom, but Dobson continued to weather the storm and moving forward as he looked to set up a big right hand. It was Benn who finished the stronger though, crashing a one-two straight down the middle before following it up before the bell with a stinging left hook.
As the fight wore on it was evident Dobson would need a stoppage if he were to cause an upset. Benn was sharper, in control, and never really looked in any real threat of being upstaged.
Benn, to his credit, never rested on his laurels, continuing to search for the knockout and taking the fight to Dobson, catching him with two big right hands in the eleventh. True to form, Dobson replied with two uppercuts of his own. More solid shots from Benn followed.
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Benn had countered his opponent's jab with aplomb all evening, firing off an overhand right without ever really following it up with more. But it was Dobson who hit Benn with three right-hands one after the other in the final round as he looked for a last-gasp victory.
But Benn relished the battle and kept up his own pursuit, exchanging blows right up to the final bell, when there was little doubt who had come out on top.
Speaking after the fight, Benn said: "I don’t miss when I shoot, but he took the shots, he was in there to survive. You can always of better, I’ll go back and assess, no doubt I’ll be disappointed, but overall this is about me getting back to where I was mentally."
Admitting he had been "pretty overwhelmed" by the support he'd received, Benn insisted a return to the UK was his next focus once he learns the outcome of his appeal and declared he would "fight anyone".
"I’m glad he’s back to 10-12 rounds. People will always criticised Conor Benn, but will they step up and fight," promoter Eddie Hearn said, before calling out Chris Eubnak Jr, who he claims is refusing the chance to fight Benn even though he'd make "three times his biggest payday".
"He's a p****," Benn chimed in. "That's all there is to it." Hearn namechecked Liam Smith and Kell Brook as potential future opponents for Benn but added: "We want to position him for a world title. We need to get that lingering problem out of his head. Let’s get that done. I want to give him the biggest fight I can in the UK. This guy has a big future in British boxing."
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