LAWRENCE Bennett wants a chance to fight for the English cruiserweight title following his stunning first round stoppage of Jamie Hearn at the York Hall last night.

The self-styled Bad Boy needed just 103 seconds to claim his inaugural stoppage win of his career when making his first defence of his Southern Area belt.

And with English champion Matty Askin facing British and Commonwealth champion Ovill McKenzie at the same venue on Friday, March 27, the Swindon-based 32-year-old wants the British Boxing Board of Control to make him mandatory for the English belt.

“Tony Conquest withdrew (from purse bids for an eliminator for the English title) – that is his prerogative,” Bennett told the Advertiser.

“But that was an eliminator for the English title and ordered by the board. He has pulled out so the board need to do the right thing and make me the mandatory.

“Once the Askin-Ovill is done the board need to make a decision and hopefully it will be the right decision for me.

“I said when I started I wanted the Southern Area title, I’ve won that and defended it, now I want the English title and then go for the British.”

Prior to his fight against Hearn, the former MMA star taunted Bennett through social media questioning the number of fans he had and insulted his family.

But the Bad Boy, left his talking for in the ring.

“They kept telling me that Jack Morris was going to knock me out and I beat him, they said that Chris Keane was going to knock me out and I beat him,” said Bennett, who improved his record to seven wins with one defeat.

“Then they said that this guy would definitely be the one.

“He said he only wanted one round and that is what I gave him – only it didn’t go the way that he wanted.

“I’m still the Southern Area champ – I definitely had more than six fans.”

Bennett had Hearn on the canvas early in the first round at the home of British boxing before going in for the kill.

“I knew that I had him beat,” the champion said. “I knew my jab would be too much for him.

“I touched him to the stomach and he didn’t react, then I went upstairs and I didn’t see my right hook.

“I knew that was it, I threw another right hook and then a left hand and he went down, his legs were gone.

“What has been preventing me from stopping people in the past is my ring experience – I only had two amateur fights and I have been learning the pro game as I’ve gone along.”