Ryan Garcia stopped Conor Benn inside two rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, defending his WBC welterweight title and immediately calling out WBA champion Teofimo Lopez for a unification bout.
Ryan Garcia Stops Conor Benn and Targets Teofimo Lopez for Unification
Ryan Garcia delivered a dominant performance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, dismissing Conor Benn inside two rounds to defend his WBC welterweight title. The American fighter controlled the pace from the opening bell, picking off his opponent with counter-punches before finding clear gaps in the second round. The opening round played out much as many had predicted, with Benn aggressively coming forward and Garcia looking to pick him off on the counter. Garcia landed two sharp left hooks, and although Benn initially appeared to take the shots well, the champion soon began finding gaps as the Briton charged into range. A left hook, right hand and uppercut landed in quick succession as Garcia’s superior timing and accuracy became increasingly apparent.
Retired three-weight undisputed champion Terence Crawford watched from ringside alongside actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and WWE chief Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque as Garcia overwhelmed the challenger. A moment’s silence was held earlier in the evening before Monday’s first anniversary of the death of Ricky Hatton, the Manchester fighter who famously brought tens of thousands of British fans to Las Vegas during his career.
Benn carried a modest travelling support with only pockets of British fans visible among the 18,855 crowd at T-Mobile Arena. Dressed in black with a Union Jack carried behind him, he was greeted by a wall of boos as he made his way towards the ring alongside his father Nigel, who enjoyed one of his most famous victories in Las Vegas when he stopped Iran Barkley inside a round in 1990. Garcia, who is of Mexican heritage, took considerably longer over his entrance, walking out to mariachi music on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
The warning signs became even clearer in the second when a left uppercut staggered Benn. Garcia’s left hook had been widely considered his most dangerous weapon before the fight, but it was a right hand which eventually sent Benn to the canvas. Benn beat the count but was a sitting target as Garcia went back on the attack, forcing the referee to step in as the challenger was pinned against the ropes.
He just needs to gain a little bit more experience. I don’t think he has enough experience at this point. I don’t think he was as experienced as me but I think he will be back. He went in, tried to fight me,” Garcia said. “You can’t jump in like that. It’s not the move. I think that he needs to be a little bit more patient. “He’s an alright dude. I have a new level of respect for him. I hope he can come back and do great things in the sport.”
After defending the WBC welterweight title, Garcia immediately had words for WBA champion Teofimo Lopez, who was in attendance at the arena. Garcia stated his intention to secure a unification match next.
“I want to unify against Teofimo. I think that’s the move,” Garcia said afterwards. “It’s a huge fight and Teo’s an entertaining dude and it’s going to be a hell of a build-up and he’s a good fighter too so let’s run it.”
Weight Discussions and Dana White’s Response to the Defeat
Prior to the opening bell, much of the build-up had centred on whether Benn’s return to 10st 7lb (67kg) would leave him drained. With no rehydration clause in place, Benn looked strikingly bigger in the ring and had posted footage on Friday evening suggesting he was 32lb heavier than at the official weigh-in, although the figure was not independently verified. That inevitably reignited debate around extreme weight cutting, but there is also a more immediate sporting concern.
Some ringside observers suggested the stoppage came early, with Benn still moving and trying to evade shots, but the referee was justified in preventing further punishment. Some might argue that ‘burst’ is too final, and it would be unfair not to credit Benn’s in-ring evolution, going from a raw novice who used to take beatings in sparring to becoming one of British boxing’s most recognisable fighters. There will still be major fights available, not least a potential trilogy with Eubank, but his next decision now carries greater significance.
Zuffa Boxing chief Dana White addressed reporters after the match, sidestepping questions regarding whether moving up against naturally larger men could prove dangerous for Benn if he struggled so badly with Garcia’s speed and timing:
“Let Conor go home, spend some time with his family, enjoy the success he had this year. When he’s ready to come back and lets us know, we’ll figure out what’s next for him.”
Asked whether moving up against bigger opponents could prove even more dangerous, White said:
“We’ll see. We’ll see how the whole thing figures out.”
Benn did not attend the post-fight news conference, leaving White to face questions about a fighter Zuffa reportedly paid £11m to sign for his initial deal. Asked whether Benn had still been worth the money, White bluntly answered:
“Every penny of it.”
After Garcia exposed such a sizeable gulf, the road to becoming a world champion suddenly looks considerably longer than it did when he arrived in Las Vegas.
Teofimo Lopez Context and Garcia’s Future Plans
Teofimo Lopez, who has past wins over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor on his stellar resume, was soundly beaten by Shakur Stevenson earlier this year. But Lopez bounced back to beat Rolando Romero, who himself beat Garcia last year.
Garcia indicated that his performance against Benn represented only the beginning of what he can offer inside the squared circle:
“I was just getting started in there [against Benn]. There’s a lot of things that I’ve been working on. But that’s just another opportunity to show that in another fight. I have a lot of weapons in my arsenal that I didn’t bring out yet.”
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