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Conor Benn looks to make up for lost time when he faces former European welterweight champion Sebastian Formella in Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing main event at SSE Arena, Wembley.
Benn hasn’t fought since last year thanks to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic, while his more experienced opponent has already made two bouts in 2020 and most recently fought former IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter.
The contest is a notable increase in opponent quality for “The Destroyer,” though he told media members via Zoom on Tuesday that he enters the fight with a sizable profile already.
“I wouldn’t say this win puts me on the map,” Benn said. “People know who I am and the boxers are already calling me left, right and center. I’d say I’m already on the map.
“Social media gives people a platform to call on other fighters. And it’s great PR. But the amount of people that have called me over the years … and sometimes it gets very disrespectful.”
Benn fought with fellow British welterweight Kell Brook, who overthrew Porter in 2014 and most recently competed in a knockout defeat to WBO welterweight boss Terence Crawford.
Based on his experiences with “Special K”, Benn is not in the least perturbed by Formella’s great nighttime battle in the US in August.
“I learned about myself while sparring with Kell Brook,” he continued. “It made me confident in my abilities, because Kell is one of those fighters I admired. I went to his fights against Gennadiy Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr., and I don’t go to other boxer fights often.
“He is one of my favorite fighters, so fighting with him was a privilege and I really learned a lot about myself during that fight.
“Based on that experience, Formella shouldn’t be a problem. You wouldn’t put Formella in the same sentence as Brook.”
Nonetheless, Benn is well aware that he stays at some point from where he ultimately wants to be in boxing, adding that his much touted leap into professional boxing adds that extra level of need to mature as a fighter.
“We have engaged non-stop,” said the 24-year-old Londoner. “You never finish learning in this game.
“Am I the finished article? Indeed. Injuries and the pandemic have given me the opportunity to slow down and take my time, and learn behind closed doors without pressure from the public to rush.
“Saturday night, I will answer many questions that are asked of me. It definitely won’t be an easy night of work. If it was a hard night for Shawn Porter, it will be a hard night of work for me. It’s a big step forward, a great test .
“For me it’s a struggle for affirmations. I’ve worked on so many different things. There are so many things that come into this game as a young novice that you don’t understand. The mind is a powerful thing.”
And in response to some suggestions that he was not thrilled to be back in the ring while fans were unable to attend, Benn insists that empty arenas have nothing to do with his deliberations.
He explained: “It’s not that I wasn’t sure I was fighting behind closed doors. My dad wasn’t sure, but it was fine with me. But it has to be the right fight.
“I didn’t want to rush for a payday. This isn’t about the money for me. I wanted to have a meaningful fight, like Chris Jenkins, Sam Eggington, Ashley Theophane … we tried to make them all happen, but none of them could materialize.
“I wanted someone who would be a good name on my record. It wasn’t about me not wanting to fight behind closed doors, it was a question of who.
“I’d fight in a phone booth! It’s not about having a crowd or not, I’ll go out there and fight.”
Benn vs Formella will air November 21 on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in all nine DAZN markets, including the US
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