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Image Credit – Imago
“Got floored by Luke Campbell quitting against woman-beater Gervumpalumpa (Gervonta Davis) and got bashed by Rolly. I will beat you 💯 percent, and I will get that WBC world title NEXT. Let’s run it, @RyanGarcia,” Conor Benn wrote some time ago, sounding gung-ho. After a wide win over Regis Prograis, he called out Garcia, who holds the WBC belt at 147 pounds. That confidence, however, hasn’t convinced everyone, and for good reason.
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Much of that skepticism comes from what many deemed a weak showing against Prograis. A former two-time world champion and way past his prime, the American entered the fight reportedly injured. Given the opportunity, Benn could have secured a statement win. Instead, the fight went the whole distance, leaving Nigel Benn’s son with a lot of unanswered questions. That outing, in turn, raises concerns about how he would fare against a formidable opponent like Ryan Garcia. Speaking with Boxing News, Josh Taylor, who doesn’t particularly see eye-to-eye with Benn, believes he isn’t on Garcia’s level.
“I just don’t think he’s that good,” the former undisputed champion said bluntly. “I just really don’t think he’s that good. I don’t think he’s on a British level, never mind a world level. The version we got, Prograis, was an absolute shell of himself. He hasn’t been himself for a long, long time.”
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Building on that point, Taylor argued that Prograis stretching Benn through the full 10 rounds reflects poorly on the British welterweight. Considering he has been fighting at catchweights – 160 pounds for the two Eubank fights and the recent Prograis bout at 150 pounds – Taylor felt it would be difficult for Benn to step down to 147 for the Garcia face-off.
It takes time for the body to adjust to such drastic changes, and given Benn’s controversial past surrounding PEDs, it doesn’t augur well, Taylor stated.
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20th April 2019, O2 Arena, London, England; Matchroom Boxing, Dave Allen and Derek Chisora; Undercard fight as Conor Benn after his victory against Josef Zahradnik PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxSWExNORxDENxFINxONLY ActionPlus12126203 ShaunxBrooks
“I just don’t think he’s that good. I don’t think he’s that good,” he added. “I don’t think he gets anywhere near Garcia. Garcia is a much quicker, much snappier puncher than Prograis. So I think he gets to Connor and lays him out.”
So the question looms: does Benn belong at this level? Interestingly, Taylor isn’t alone in that view. Similar concerns have also surfaced outside the ropes.
Ryan Garcia wins early rounds before the first punch is thrown
“At 47, he’s (Benn) not that strong,” Sean Zittel said on his YouTube channel. “He’s not hitting like that. So I think if Conor Benn wants to win a world title, he’s the WBC mandatory (challenger). I don’t think he beats Ryan Garcia. And maybe it’s a boring fight because you saw he was very respectful of Regis’ left hand. What if he fights like that against Ryan? What if he doesn’t go for it like that and it’s not that entertaining a fight? Because I think if he goes for it, Ryan could knock him out.”
Beyond the immediate matchup, the broader picture also raises concerns.
Even at middleweight, the situation looks challenging for Conor Benn, Zittel argued. With Sebastian Fundora, Xander Zayas, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Jaron Ennis, and Josh Kelly in the mix, it’s a tough task for Benn at 154 pounds to begin with.
Against that backdrop, Benn will have to rethink his options carefully before taking any decision. The mandatory challenge against Garcia may fulfill his long-held dream of becoming a world champion. But it also carries risks, potentially putting a brake on his career.
Following his surprise exit from long-time promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to join Dana White’s Zuffa, Benn remains in the spotlight. With multiple moving pieces around his career and limited room for error, the decision he makes next could define the next phase of his career.
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Edited by
Snigdhaa Jaiswal