Conor Benn vs Chris Algieri highlights and results: Conor Benn finishes Algieri in Round 4 by devastating knockout

If there was anything Conor Benn could prove to his doubters by dispatching Chris Algieri, he proved it tonight in Liverpool with a dominant performance and an absolutely devastating highlight reel knockout.

Benn (20-0, 13 KO) came out of the gate strong, steering his opponent around the ring in the first round, then putting an off-balance Algieri (25-4, 9 KO) on the canvas with an acrobatic, somersaulting knockdown in round two.

Algieri came out and gave his best performance in the third, working more aggressively and trying to get back in contention. But, he never found a way through to put any fear in Benn, who delivered an absolutely crushing knockout in the fourth round that prompted immediate medical attention for Algieri.

Bravo to Benn for having the awareness and discipline to pull back what could have been a catastrophic right hand, as the damage done without it was still enough to put Algieri on a stool and under observation for quite a while.

After the fight, Adrien Broner’s name came up, as did those of Amir Khan and Kell Brook. And, if none of those scintillating matchups happen? Benn says “I fancy my chances against Ugas.”

Skeptics will say that a highlight knockout proves nothing against a 37 year old foe like Chris Algieri, and critics may dismiss Benn’s proposed 2022 potential opponents. If you don’t think he’s a contender for the top level of the welterweight division, or you don’t believe he could hang with the rising stars of the class like Boots Ennis or Vergil Ortiz? I wouldn’t argue, and I don’t necessarily disagree with you.

Fact is, though, only one guy can be the best in the division, and only one guy can be the top prospect. You don’t have to be either one to be a damn entertaining fighter, and Connor Benn proved once again that he clearly and definitively deserves that label. He’s proven that he’s not just coasting on the reputation of his father, he once again thrilled a domestic audience, and he’s turning himself into top shelf viewing entertainment.

Katie Taylor UD-10 Firuza Sharipova

As top level fighters age, they often transition from a dominant phase to a “scrappy” phase. If Katie Taylor wasn’t at that point already, she found herself there tonight against a sharp and capable opponent in Firuza Sharipova.

Sharipova came out looking like she was ready and able to deliver the upset. She worked brilliantly behind a crisp jab, controlling distance and snapping effective lead shots right at Taylor (20-0, 6 KO) for the first few rounds.

Taylor found her way around it by lunging and charging aggressively, clutching and holding while stifling Sharipova’s early advantages in the middle rounds. It was a strategic turning point, as Sharipova (14-2, 8 KO) struggled to land meaningful punches and suffered some eye damage from what might have been head-to-head contact.

A frustrated Sharipova lost a point in the 6th round for punching very late on the break, a controversial decision that I felt was justified. Sharipova rallied to win a few more rounds on my card, but the deduction coupled with Taylor’s clutch-and-grab success in the middle of the fight effectively put things out of reach.

Official scores were 98-92, 97-92, 96-93, a unanimous decision for Taylor. Bad Left Hook agreed with the narrowest card, also scoring things 96-93 in favor of Taylor.

After the fight, Taylor and Eddie Hearn both hyped up a matchup against Amanda Serrano in early 2022, calling it the biggest event in the history of women’s boxing and debating whether it could wait for St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Robbie Davies Jr KO-2 Hank Lundy

This fight was a wonderful step for Robbie Davies Jr towards reestablishing himself at the weight after suffering a disappointing loss back in February. Hank Lundy is 37 years old and past his best days as a pro. But, the last time Lundy was stopped was five years ago by Terence Crawford. And, while Davies (22-3, 15 KO) hasn’t put himself on Crawford’s level with this KO, it was definitely an impressive performance against a known name with a reputation for durability.

Lundy (31-10-1, 14 KO) wobbled badly at the end of the first, but somehow managed to evade a hard-charging Davies without losing his questionable footing. The break between rounds allowed Lundy to stabilize his legs from “melting Jell-O” up to something in the range of “child’s playing card tower,” but nowhere near steady enough to inspire confidence.

Less than halfway through the second round, Davies finally connected in full and knocked Lundy down and out of the ring. Lundy struggled to pull himself off the apron and back in through the ropes, and the referee decided there was no need to let things go any further.

After the fight, Lundy seemed to be struggling with an undefined knee problem. There was no controversy in the ending, but the fall may have resulted in a leg injury that would have prevented him from continuing anyway.

Go ahead, though. Treat yourself to a second angle on the knockout.

Joe Cordina UD-10 Miko Khatchatryan

A much more entertaining fight than the wide scores would suggest, and one where Joe Cordina spent much of it frustrated with the sturdiness and slipperiness of Miko Khatchatryan.

Cordina (14-0, 8 KO) controlled the fight but couldn’t quite get the knockout he obviously wanted. I scored three rounds to Khatchatryan (13-1, 7 KO), but all of them were close, while Cordina’s rounds were much more clear in the winner’s favor.

Highlights included some pantomime shenanigans in the fourth, when Khatchatryan dodged a punch and followed up with a Billy Joe Saunders look-off, which prompted a taunting tap to the mat in return from Cordina.

Cordina landed a punishing body shot in the seventh, but couldn’t catch up with a retreating Khatchatryan to capitalize on it. Cordina also took a warning in the final minute of the round for punching while holding down Khatchatryan’s head, which left him seemingly reluctant to throw at will in a similar situation in the ninth round.

It wasn’t a knockout, but it was a clear decision win by scores of 100-90 and 98-92(x2).

Peter McGrail KO-2 Engel Gomez

We didn’t get the usual Matchroom/DAZN mid-show ticket sale updates to tell us how many in the Liverpool crowd were there to watch hometown hero Peter McGrail. Whatever the exact headcount, they all got a short but satisfying show.

McGrail (2-0, 1 KO) didn’t need long here, fully taking control in the second round with some nice high-low work that flummoxed Gomez (8-4-1, 4 KO). The fight-ender came on a strong left hand off of a clever jab feint.

After the fight, McGrail said “I believe I have the same ability as the world champions,” and he and his team indicated that he’ll likely step up to an eight round fight sometime in early 2022.

Caoimhin Agyarko KO-9 Noe Larios Jr

Caoimhin Agyarko definitely passed the initial eye test in his Matchroom debut. Agyarko (10-0, 7 KO) came out looking strong, fluid, calm, and confident. He didn’t take any risks, but kept full control of the action in every round.

Praise to Larios (14-1, 6 KO), who obviously did not take this fight just to trade away his undefeated record for a trip to England. Larios tried to adjust, never stopped giving a proper effort, and forced Agyarko to keep doing good, careful work.

Agyarko did dial up the aggression a little starting in fifth, but never really pressed for the finish until landing a pair of nice shots that put Larios on the ropes in the ninth. He found top gear then, and unloaded until the referee stepped in to bring things to a conclusion.