Conor Benn took on Peter Dobson, who decided to dust off his gloves after a 20-month siesta, in the glittering heart of The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas. The main spectacle, void of any surprises, saw Benn schooling Dobson over a marathon 12 rounds, leaving no doubt about who was the master of the ring.
In an appetizing precursor, Austin Williams, the reigning king of the IBF North American Middleweight division, decided it was time to cut short Armel ‘Kingenforme’ Mbumba-Yassa’s night, sending him packing in the seventh.
Back to our headline tussle, Benn, with a record as spotless as a polished diamond, 23-0 with 14 KOs, squared off against Dobson, also known as “Pistol Pete,” who boasted a not-too-shabby record himself, 16-1 with 9 KOs. From the get-go, it was clear Benn had come to do more than just show up. The first round saw Benn unleash a barrage of rights, keeping Dobson on his toes, or rather, on his heels.
As the rounds progressed, the narrative remained largely unchanged, with Benn playing the aggressor and Dobson, well, trying to catch up. The highlight reel for Benn included a memorable right hook in the second that had Dobson seeing stars and a relentless onslaught in the third that only saw a brief hiccup when Dobson managed to land a decent right.
The middle rounds turned into a bit of a dance, with Benn leading and Dobson trying not to step on any toes. Despite a spirited effort from Dobson in the fifth, it was clear Benn was in the driver’s seat, dictating the pace and direction of the fight.
By the time the final bell tolled, the scorecards read 119-109, 118-110, twice, all in favor of Benn. As the dust settled, the chatter began – what’s next for Benn? A tangle with Eubank Jr. or a dance with Haney? Only time will tell, but for now, the night belonged to ‘The Destroyer’, who, quite frankly, lived up to his moniker.
