Home · Sports · Sep 13 archive
Garcia's Dominance Shatters Benn's Vegas Dream
Confirmed
In Short: In a swift and decisive performance, Ryan Garcia dismantled Conor Benn to retain his WBC welterweight title, delivering a harsh reality check to the younger Benn's ambitions.
Thirty-six years after Nigel Benn's famous upset over Iran Barkley in Las Vegas, his son Conor was hoping to make his own mark. However, the elder Benn's route to the ring was different, and Itauma's recent victory before being stopped highlighted a similar lesson. "I think he needs a little bit more patience," Garcia advised, echoing the sentiment offered to Itauma by his trainer.
The atmosphere in Las Vegas was electric, with tourists on one side of the road experiencing the thrill of the rollercoaster at the New York-New York Hotel, while on the other side, the biggest night of Conor Benn's career was in freefall. Despite not having competed at the 10st 7lb welterweight limit for over four years, Benn's career-defining moments had come at middleweight. However, Garcia's performance provided a clear answer about Benn's place in the boxing world order, leaving no doubt about his current standing.
The WBC welterweight championship will be on the line on Saturday in Las Vegas, with Ryan Garcia making his first defense against rising English star Conor Benn. After a poor performance against Rolando "Rolly" Romero, Garcia was given another chance to break through, and he seized it, becoming a world champion for the first time in his career.
What's confirmed
- Thirty-six years after Nigel Benn's famous upset over Iran Barkley in Las Vegas, his son Conor was hoping to make his own mark. However, the elder Benn's route to the ring was different, and Itauma's recent victory before being stopped highlighted a similar lesson. "I think he needs a little bit more patience," Garcia advised, echoing the sentiment offered to Itauma by his trainer.
- The atmosphere in Las Vegas was electric, with tourists on one side of the road experiencing the thrill of the rollercoaster at the New York-New York Hotel, while on the other side, the biggest night of Conor Benn's career was in freefall. Despite not having competed at the 10st 7lb welterweight limit for over four years, Benn's career-defining moments had come at middleweight. However, Garcia's performance provided a clear answer about Benn's place in the boxing world order, leaving no doubt about his current standing.
- The WBC welterweight championship will be on the line on Saturday in Las Vegas, with Ryan Garcia making his first defense against rising English star Conor Benn. After a poor performance against Rolando "Rolly" Romero, Garcia was given another chance to break through, and he seized it, becoming a world champion for the first time in his career.
What's still developing
- "It went kind of exactly how I imagined it. He was going to try and put pressure on me straight away," Garcia said afterwards.
- But rather than Benn leaving with his mission accomplished, Ryan Garcia laid bare the unforgiving reality of elite-level boxing, taking just two rounds to dismantle, drop and stop the 29-year-old.
- His revenge victory in the rematch was impressive, but a points win over faded 37-year-old Regis Prograis in April hardly looked ideal preparation for a fight against Garcia - one of the world's leading welterweights.
- Yet such is Benn's commercial pull that the traditional stages of a boxing education have often felt secondary.
- Garcia, though, provided something none of those aspects can - an elite examination - and Benn failed it.
- The WBC welterweight championship will be on the line on Saturday in Las Vegas when two of boxing's brashest fighters meet inside T-Mobile Arena.