Ranking the top five wins of Conor Benn's young career

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Conor Benn is fast becoming one of the biggest names in British boxing, as well as one of the biggest draws for fans. His rise in recent times has seen him move away from his father's shadow and begin to build his own legacy. The 25-year-old is moving closer to the elite of the welterweight division.

Back in action on April 16, Benn faces off against Chris van Heerden, a South African southpaw fighter who is set to be his final "development fight" before looking to seek out the big names in the division.

In the build-up to "The Destroyer" returning to the ring, The Sporting News looks at the top five wins of Benn's career to date. 

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5. Adrian Granados 2021 - UD 

Last year, Benn stepped up to face Adrian Granados, who had faced elite level opposition in the welterweight division in the past. Those names included Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter and Adrien Broner.

Advertised as another careful step-up in class of opponent, Benn toiled to a very comfortable points victory, despite his opponent really failing to engage all fight.

It wasn't the best performance of his career, nor was it a night that will long in the memory. It did show that Benn was now above a certain level, and that fighters were wary of the power he possesses.

Granados seemed to feel the power early on, and decided to dance his way to a points decision loss, as Benn moved onto bigger and better things.

4. Cedrick Peynaud 2018 - UD

This fight makes the list despite Peynaud only having a record of five wins, four losses and three draws because this was the fight that showed Benn had a tremendous steel about him. 

Granted, we could have chosen his rematch with Peynaud in 2018. That is where Benn showed he had moved away from the wild streak and defensive frailties, showed he had improved, and that he could box at a higher level.

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However, this fight saw Benn hit the canvas twice in the very first round. Somehow managing to survive the first round, Benn was in serious danger of being stopped in a fight he was never supposed to lose.

Benn then turned it around by knocking down his opponent twice in the later rounds to secure a unanimous points victory early in his career. It was a career-defining fight. 

3. Sebastian Formella 2020 - UD 

In what was a huge step up for Benn at the time, he faced the German in Formella, who came into the fight with only one loss in 23 bouts. That loss came at the hands of former world champion Shawn Porter, as he showed durability and a toughness to go 12 rounds with a world-level opponent. 

Benn showcased his newfound boxing skills in this bout, winning virtually every round of the fight.

Dealing with an experienced and tough opponent in the manner he did showed everyone, once again, that Benn was ready for bigger and tougher tests. This was the start of the run that he now finds himself on as he aims for the elite of the division.

2. Samuel Vargas 2021 - TKO R1

This performance encapsulated everything that Benn is about. It only took him one round to blow away Samuel Vargas, a seasoned and highly experienced professional.

While this proved to be Vargas' second to last fight, he was still a tough opponent, but the manner of the stoppage win was unlike anything we'd seen against the experienced Columbian.

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Benn started strong, landing two right hands just over a minute into the fight. He overwhelmed Vargas with 15-20 unanswered punches as the referee had no choice but to stop the fight after only 82 seconds.

The dismantling of someone who was supposed to take him into deep waters ended up being one of his quickest nights in the ring, as it was clear Benn had elevated up to another level.

1. Chris Algieri 2021 - KO R4

What stands out as his best performance to date was his most recent outing in the ring against former world title challenger Chris Algieri. 

Facing a man who was somewhat inactive, he had shared the ring with Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. Algieri was brought in as a real test of Benn's credentials.

Not only did Benn pass the test, he breezed it with flying colors. Knocking out Algieri in the fourth round with a pinpoint right hand showed Benn had that one-punch KO power, and that he was indeed, "The Destroyer."

Benn also showed terrific head movement, quality jabs and combinations and even scored a second round knockdown on the way to landing that huge right hand. His best win to date, and perhaps a sign of things to come...

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