Ryan Garcia Stops Conor Benn in Two Rounds

Ryan Garcia Stops Conor Benn in Two Rounds

In many ways, Conor Benn was always rolling the dice on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The pre-fight odds always suggested it was going to be way too much for the British fighter, and so it proved. Ryan Garcia (26-2) retained his WBC world welterweight title by stopping Benn in two rounds. Garcia looked sensational, and Benn was just made for him.

Before the fight, all the talk was about the Garcia left hook, but it was the right hand that dropped Benn as he advanced. It landed flush, and Benn was dropped heavily. Benn bravely got up, but Garcia was never going to let him off the hook. The champion unleashed an avalanche of punches on the challenger. Benn wasn’t throwing back, and the referee Thomas Taylor waved the fight off at the 1:25 point of the second round. It looked a little premature, but crucially, Benn offered no complaints, and to his credit, he offered no excuses post-fight. Arguably, it could have been allowed to go on a little longer, but Garcia would have stopped Benn regardless of the timing of the stoppage. That Garcia right hand landed flush, and there was no way back for a visibly hurt Benn.

Benn (25-2) marched forward with intent at the opening bell. Garcia bounced left hooks off the face of his opponent, but Benn took them well enough. But he was far too easy to hit. Even that early, the signs were ominous. Benn needed a good start and some early success. When that didn’t come, the odds of the upset got even more remote. In truth, Garcia was levels above Benn. The 29-year-old challenger was expected to lose, but not like that. For his future marketability, it was a devastating setback. Benn will move back up the weights, but on this performance, it’s difficult to envisage him ever emulating his father and winning a world title. That WBC number one ranking was always a touch generous, absurd even. Benn has always been limited, and at this kind of level, he has been found out.

But for the winner, the future is very different. Ryan Garcia delivered a superstar-like performance. The 28-year-old can expect more big nights. Teofimo Lopez could be next. On this form, he will take some beating.

Photo Credit: Zuffa Boxing