Sydney-based Conor Benn will make his professional boxing debut in London this Saturday when he fights on the undercard to the Anthony Joshua-Charles Martin IBF world heavyweight title contest.
The 19-year-old light-welterweight, who is the son of former British two-time world champion Nigel Benn, moved to Australia with his family three years ago and fights out of the Vinegar Hill Boxing club in Blacktown.
Under the guidance of his father, who was one of Britain's most exciting fighters during the late 80s and 90s, Benn won 20 of the 22 amateur fights he had in Australia
He's been matched with Luke Keleher on Saturday, having joined the Matchroom boxing stable that promotes current world champions Kell Brook, James DeGale and Anthony Crolla and will be trained by Tony Sims.
It is because of the profile of his popular father that he chose not to work with another famous figure in Ricky Hatton, who looks after Aussie fighters Lewis Browne, Cameron Hammond and Damien Hooper.
"I feel at home with Tony, and that's the most important thing, because I'm a long way away from home, and I feel at home every time I'm in the Matchroom gym," Benn told PA Sport.
"(I trialled training with) Ricky Hatton, and then went straight to Tony. I felt like a fish out of water up there (with Hatton in Manchester). Ricky's a great trainer but I felt a fish out of water. All my family's down here in London."
The giant O2 Arena will be vastly different venue for Benn to box at having travelled across Sydney and NSW for all of his previous contests.
"My amateur fights were in stables or bingo halls, not like here (London) where you have your nice venues (like) York Hall," Benn said.
"We don't have none of that over there. Horrible. The state titles were out in the stables, the middle of nowhere. My dad would take me."
Benn senior had a bitter rivalry with Chris Eubank in the mid-90s but Conor insists his father won't adopt the same hands-on approach that his old foe has taken with his son Chris Eubank Jnr.
"My dad's going to be there in the shadows, so to speak, I know he's there when I need him but he's not going to be ruling the cameras and showboating, it's going to be completely different," he said.
"All I need to know is my dad's going to be there (when needed). He wants it to be about me."
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