Conor Benn easily outpointed Adrian Granados on the Josh Warrington-Mauricio Lara card Saturday in Leeds, England.
Conor Benn followed the lead of other elite fighters against Adrian Granados on the Josh Warrington-Maurico Lara card Saturday in Leeds, England.
Benn easily outpointed his American opponent, who made a name for himself as a stepping stone against the likes of Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter.
Benn (19-0, 12 KOs) fought aggressively from the outset, winging big punches and connecting on many of them. That included some punishing body blows, particularly in the middle rounds.
Granados (21-9-3, 15 KOs) was competitive but he spent much of the fight trying to keep Benn off of him, mostly by moving his feet.
The Essex fighter was unable to take out Granados, who has been stopped only by big-punching Danny Garcia. However, he won by a wide decision. The scores were 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93.
Benn said afterward that he was disappointed that Granados chose to move instead of engage him.
“It was very frustrating,” he said. “He was talking like we were going to come together like Mack Trucks, and he was on his bike the whole fight. I was ready to go toe to toe and let him have it.”
Benn is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, meaning he’s closing in on a title shot. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, said Benn will be back in the ring in December.
Conor Benn easily outpointed Adrian Granados on the Josh Warrington-Mauricio Lara card Saturday in Leeds, England.
Conor Benn followed the lead of other elite fighters against Adrian Granados on the Josh Warrington-Maurico Lara card Saturday in Leeds, England.
Benn easily outpointed his American opponent, who made a name for himself as a stepping stone against the likes of Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter.
Benn (19-0, 12 KOs) fought aggressively from the outset, winging big punches and connecting on many of them. That included some punishing body blows, particularly in the middle rounds.
Granados (21-9-3, 15 KOs) was competitive but he spent much of the fight trying to keep Benn off of him, mostly by moving his feet.
The Essex fighter was unable to take out Granados, who has been stopped only by big-punching Danny Garcia. However, he won by a wide decision. The scores were 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93.
Benn said afterward that he was disappointed that Granados chose to move instead of engage him.
“It was very frustrating,” he said. “He was talking like we were going to come together like Mack Trucks, and he was on his bike the whole fight. I was ready to go toe to toe and let him have it.”
Benn is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, meaning he’s closing in on a title shot. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, said Benn will be back in the ring in December.
Conor Benn has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off Saturday’s card in England, where he was scheduled to face Adrian Granados.
Welterweight contender Conor Benn has had to pull out of his fight against Adrian Granados on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19, according to multiple reports.
Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter, said he will work on rescheduling the bout, which was set to take place at Fight Camp 2 in Brentwood, England.
The featherweight fight between Xu Can of China and England’s Leigh Wood will now be the main event on DAZN.
Benn, the 24-year-old son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, would face arguably the biggest test of his career against Granados. The Southern Californian is a solid boxer with experience against elite opposition.
BREAKING: Conor Benn has tested positive for COVID-19 and is out of Saturday’s Fight Camp main event vs. Adrian Granados. New date to be announced shortly.
The Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood world title fight will now headline Fight Camp 1.
Conor Benn has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off Saturday’s card in England, where he was scheduled to face Adrian Granados.
Welterweight contender Conor Benn has had to pull out of his fight against Adrian Granados on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19, according to multiple reports.
Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter, said he will work on rescheduling the bout, which was set to take place at Fight Camp 2 in Brentwood, England.
The featherweight fight between Xu Can of China and England’s Leigh Wood will now be the main event on DAZN.
Benn, the 24-year-old son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, would face arguably the biggest test of his career against Granados. The Southern Californian is a solid boxer with experience against elite opposition.
BREAKING: Conor Benn has tested positive for COVID-19 and is out of Saturday’s Fight Camp main event vs. Adrian Granados. New date to be announced shortly.
The Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood world title fight will now headline Fight Camp 1.
Fight Week: Heavyweight contender Michael Coffie will face Gerald Washington, and Conor Benn returns on a busy Saturday.
FIGHT WEEK
HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MICHAEL COFFIE WILL FACE late replacement jonathan rice, AND CONOR BENN RETURNS AGAINST ADRIAN GRANADOS ON A BUSY SATURDAY.
***
MICHAEL COFFIE (12-0, 9 KOs)
VS. JONATHAN RICE (13-6-1, 9 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFvFomzKdo
When: Saturday, July 31
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
TV/Stream: Fox
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: No titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach, welterweights; James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr., welterweight; Joey Spencer vs. Dan Karpency, junior middleweights
Prediction: Coffie KO 8
Background: Coffie, 35, got off to a late start because he spent eight years in the Marine Corps but has made an impression since turning pro in 2017. The resident of Brooklyn, who has sparred regularly with Deontay Wilder, is massive (6-foot-5, around 270 pounds) but also quick and athletic. And he’s developing into a good boxer. He’s coming off his most-important victory, a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Darmani Rock this past January. That was his first scheduled 10-rounder. Coffie was supposed to have fought veteran Gerald Washington on Saturday but Washington had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Rice, a 34-year-old journeyman from Los Angeles, is coming off back-to-back losses to Australian prospect Demsey McKean (TKO 10) and Efe Ajagba (UD) in March and September of last year. Nine of his 13 victories have come by knockout, which seems to indicate that he has power. And he is about the same size as Coffie in terms of both height and weight.
***
CONOR BENN (18-0, 12 KOs)
VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS (21-8-3, 15 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8U9pxZXLF4
When: Saturday, July 31
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
TV/Stream: Fox
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: No titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Benn 12-1 (average from multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood, featherweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights; Jack Cullen vs. Avni Yildrim, super middleweights; Anthony Fowler vs. Roberto Garcia, junior middleweights
Prediction: Benn KO 9
Background: Benn, the son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and closing in on his first title shot. The 24-year-old from Essex, England, had a short amateur career (a reported 22 fights) but has developed into a good boxer-puncher. He’s coming off back-to-back victories over second-tier veterans Sebastian Formella (UD 10) and Samel Vargas (TKO 1), the latter bout having taken place in April. Granados, 31, might be a small step above those opponents. The rugged Southern Californian is only 1-2-1 in his last four fights — including a draw with Jose Luis Sanchez in May — but he’s a solid boxer who fights hard. And he has come up short primarily against elite opponents, including Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. Granados would be a nice stepping stone for Benn in his pursuit of a championship.
***
Also fighting this weekend: Knockout artist Eduardo Nunez (21-1, 21 KOS) takes on Jonathan Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs) in a featherweight bout Thursday in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass); and Erick Leon faces Juan Marces Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout Friday in Mexico City (Estrella TV).
Fight Week: Heavyweight contender Michael Coffie will face Gerald Washington, and Conor Benn returns on a busy Saturday.
FIGHT WEEK
HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MICHAEL COFFIE WILL FACE late replacement jonathan rice, AND CONOR BENN RETURNS AGAINST ADRIAN GRANADOS ON A BUSY SATURDAY.
***
MICHAEL COFFIE (12-0, 9 KOs)
VS. JONATHAN RICE (13-6-1, 9 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFvFomzKdo
When: Saturday, July 31
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
TV/Stream: Fox
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: No titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach, welterweights; James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr., welterweight; Joey Spencer vs. Dan Karpency, junior middleweights
Prediction: Coffie KO 8
Background: Coffie, 35, got off to a late start because he spent eight years in the Marine Corps but has made an impression since turning pro in 2017. The resident of Brooklyn, who has sparred regularly with Deontay Wilder, is massive (6-foot-5, around 270 pounds) but also quick and athletic. And he’s developing into a good boxer. He’s coming off his most-important victory, a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Darmani Rock this past January. That was his first scheduled 10-rounder. Coffie was supposed to have fought veteran Gerald Washington on Saturday but Washington had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Rice, a 34-year-old journeyman from Los Angeles, is coming off back-to-back losses to Australian prospect Demsey McKean (TKO 10) and Efe Ajagba (UD) in March and September of last year. Nine of his 13 victories have come by knockout, which seems to indicate that he has power. And he is about the same size as Coffie in terms of both height and weight.
***
CONOR BENN (18-0, 12 KOs)
VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS (21-8-3, 15 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8U9pxZXLF4
When: Saturday, July 31
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
TV/Stream: Fox
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: No titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Benn 12-1 (average from multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood, featherweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights; Jack Cullen vs. Avni Yildrim, super middleweights; Anthony Fowler vs. Roberto Garcia, junior middleweights
Prediction: Benn KO 9
Background: Benn, the son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and closing in on his first title shot. The 24-year-old from Essex, England, had a short amateur career (a reported 22 fights) but has developed into a good boxer-puncher. He’s coming off back-to-back victories over second-tier veterans Sebastian Formella (UD 10) and Samel Vargas (TKO 1), the latter bout having taken place in April. Granados, 31, might be a small step above those opponents. The rugged Southern Californian is only 1-2-1 in his last four fights — including a draw with Jose Luis Sanchez in May — but he’s a solid boxer who fights hard. And he has come up short primarily against elite opponents, including Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. Granados would be a nice stepping stone for Benn in his pursuit of a championship.
***
Also fighting this weekend: Knockout artist Eduardo Nunez (21-1, 21 KOS) takes on Jonathan Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs) in a featherweight bout Thursday in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass); and Erick Leon faces Juan Marces Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout Friday in Mexico City (Estrella TV).
Errol Spence Jr. said he chose to defend his title against Danny Garcia in part to motivate himself.
Errol Spence Jr. could’ve chosen to fight anyone after his car accident and no one would’ve questioned him. The welterweight titleholder, who will defend his belt on Dec. 5 at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, could’ve easily beaten a journeyman to prove to himself and the world that he has fully recovered.
Instead, he chose to face one of the most-respected fighters in his division, Danny Garcia. Why? To bring out the best in himself.
“If I took a tune-up fight, I wouldn’t be as focused or dedicated as I am right now,” Spence said during a virtual media workout. “I know Danny’s dad is pushing him to take my belts in my hometown. So I’ staying focused to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“This is as good as I’ve ever felt. You can see I’m sweating today and I’m not dried out. There’s no struggle to make weight. I’m just feeling good.”
Errol Spence Jr. looks fit during a virtual media workout Thursday. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
That’s remarkable given the severity of the accident, which occurred in October in his hometown of Dallas. Spence’s speeding Ferrari hit a median in the road, flipped over and he was ejected.
Somehow he didn’t suffer a serious injury. And, with the blessing of doctors, he was back in the gym before the end of the year.
Spence will have to prove to those watching on Dec. 5 that he is suffering no lingering effects from the crash but he convinced himself and those close to him long ago that he’s perfectly fine.
He last fought in September of last year, when he defeated Shawn Porter by a split decision in a thrilling, give-and-take fight.
“There was a lot of uncertainty after my accident, but I knew that I wanted to keep training and make sure that I’m 100% ready to get into the ring. The doctors gave me the okay and said everything is fine, so I’m ready to go.”
He knows that he had better be ready to go.
Spence (hitting mitts with trainer Derrick James here) has been in the gym for most of the past year. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) is a 3½-1 underdog, according to BetMGM, but is perceived to be a genuine threat to Spence (26-0, 21 KOs). The Philadelphian is a two-division titleholder with proven ability, power and resilience. And, as Spence’s trainer Derrick James said, “Danny is a very smart fighter.”
Only Porter and Keith Thurman were able to beat Garcia and both fights could’ve gone the other way.
“I picked Danny Garcia because he’s a tough opponent with a granite chin,” Spence said. “He’s always in tough close fights. He’s going to bring the best out of me.
“… I don’t know if Danny is the hardest puncher I’ve faced. We’ll see when I get into the ring against him. But I know that I’m not Amir Khan or Adrian Granados or anyone else that he’s knocked out.”
One thing seems obvious as the fight approaches: Spence and James have left no stone unturned.
Spence has essentially been in the gym for almost a year. And he and Garcia agreed in late July to fight one another, which gave “The Truth” more than three months to tailor his training specifically for Garcia.
The accident aside, he might be better prepared for this fight than any other in his career.
“Errol has been working hard,” James said. “The dedication and determination are there. He’s pushing himself as hard or harder than ever. You can tell there’s a competition within himself so that he can push himself to be the best he’s ever been.
“[Garcia is] one of the most decorated fighters in the sport and he’s got a great resume. He’s definitely a threat. So me and Errol both need to be on our ‘A’ game to be able to beat him.”
Spence doesn’t seem to have doubts about what we’ll see on Dec. 5.
“I want to make an impactful statement,” he said. “I guarantee there’s going to be highlights everywhere from this one. It’s going to be a great performance.”
Errol Spence Jr. said he chose to defend his title against Danny Garcia in part to motivate himself.
Errol Spence Jr. could’ve chosen to fight anyone after his car accident and no one would’ve questioned him. The welterweight titleholder, who will defend his belt on Dec. 5 at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, could’ve easily beaten a journeyman to prove to himself and the world that he has fully recovered.
Instead, he chose to face one of the most-respected fighters in his division, Danny Garcia. Why? To bring out the best in himself.
“If I took a tune-up fight, I wouldn’t be as focused or dedicated as I am right now,” Spence said during a virtual media workout. “I know Danny’s dad is pushing him to take my belts in my hometown. So I’ staying focused to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“This is as good as I’ve ever felt. You can see I’m sweating today and I’m not dried out. There’s no struggle to make weight. I’m just feeling good.”
Errol Spence Jr. looks fit during a virtual media workout Thursday. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
That’s remarkable given the severity of the accident, which occurred in October in his hometown of Dallas. Spence’s speeding Ferrari hit a median in the road, flipped over and he was ejected.
Somehow he didn’t suffer a serious injury. And, with the blessing of doctors, he was back in the gym before the end of the year.
Spence will have to prove to those watching on Dec. 5 that he is suffering no lingering effects from the crash but he convinced himself and those close to him long ago that he’s perfectly fine.
He last fought in September of last year, when he defeated Shawn Porter by a split decision in a thrilling, give-and-take fight.
“There was a lot of uncertainty after my accident, but I knew that I wanted to keep training and make sure that I’m 100% ready to get into the ring. The doctors gave me the okay and said everything is fine, so I’m ready to go.”
He knows that he had better be ready to go.
Spence (hitting mitts with trainer Derrick James here) has been in the gym for most of the past year. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) is a 3½-1 underdog, according to BetMGM, but is perceived to be a genuine threat to Spence (26-0, 21 KOs). The Philadelphian is a two-division titleholder with proven ability, power and resilience. And, as Spence’s trainer Derrick James said, “Danny is a very smart fighter.”
Only Porter and Keith Thurman were able to beat Garcia and both fights could’ve gone the other way.
“I picked Danny Garcia because he’s a tough opponent with a granite chin,” Spence said. “He’s always in tough close fights. He’s going to bring the best out of me.
“… I don’t know if Danny is the hardest puncher I’ve faced. We’ll see when I get into the ring against him. But I know that I’m not Amir Khan or Adrian Granados or anyone else that he’s knocked out.”
One thing seems obvious as the fight approaches: Spence and James have left no stone unturned.
Spence has essentially been in the gym for almost a year. And he and Garcia agreed in late July to fight one another, which gave “The Truth” more than three months to tailor his training specifically for Garcia.
The accident aside, he might be better prepared for this fight than any other in his career.
“Errol has been working hard,” James said. “The dedication and determination are there. He’s pushing himself as hard or harder than ever. You can tell there’s a competition within himself so that he can push himself to be the best he’s ever been.
“[Garcia is] one of the most decorated fighters in the sport and he’s got a great resume. He’s definitely a threat. So me and Errol both need to be on our ‘A’ game to be able to beat him.”
Spence doesn’t seem to have doubts about what we’ll see on Dec. 5.
“I want to make an impactful statement,” he said. “I guarantee there’s going to be highlights everywhere from this one. It’s going to be a great performance.”
Errol Spence Jr. will defend his welterweight title this fall against former two-division beltholder Danny Garcia, The Athletic reported.
Well, Errol Spence Jr. isn’t taking a tune-up fight following his horrific car accident this past October.
Spence will defend his welterweight title this fall against former two-division beltholder Danny Garcia, the fighter he was expected to face in January, according to The Athletic. The original date became moot after the single-car crash in Dallas.
The fight this fall would be televised on Fox Pay-Per-View. No specific date or site was mentioned.
Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) has said he’s fully recovered and back in training, which is miraculous given the severity of the crash. The only thing he hasn’t been able to do is spar as a result of losing teeth in the accident.
Spence is coming off a sensational split-decision victory over Shawn Porter in September.
“I have no restrictions in my training except sparring,” Spence said on the “All The Smoke” podcast, which is available on Showtime Sports’ YouTube channel. “I can’t spar yet because I got my teeth knocked out. And they put two posts in my mouth, well, three posts in my mouth. And I’m waiting on them to heal.
“And once they heal, then I’ll get my permanent teeth. And then I’ll be able to spar.”
He added: “In all actuality, this pandemic has really been helping me out a lot, yeah, basically [with] recovery and just taking my time to get back. But I’m already back. I’m 100 percent. I went to a facility in Cleveland, where they checked me out, checked my brain, gave me MRIs and things like that, and everything went well.
“So everything’s been going good. I think I’m 100 percent healthy and in shape.”
Spence obviously has respect for Garcia, who has held titles at both junior welterweight and welterweight.
“Danny Garcia, he’s a very tough fighter,” he said on the Premier Boxing Champions Instagram account. “He’s a guy that’s accomplished a lot in the sport of boxing. And that’s a fight that really makes sense … it’s a fight that can definitely happen next.”
Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) hasn’t held a title since he lost his 147-pound belt to Keith Thurman by a split decision in March 2017. He then lost a close decision to Shawn Porter for a vacant title in September 2018. The 32-year-old Philadelphian has since beaten Adrian Granados and Ivan Redkach.
Garcia likes his chances against Spence.
“I feel it’s a great style for me,” Garcia said on The PBC Podcast. “Porter hit him a lot. I’ve seen things in the Mikey Garcia fight that I could definitely take advantage of and defeat him.”
