NEW YORK, NY — Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) to the boxing public of fans and analysts was never considered a legitimate champion. Twenty three consecutive wins to start off his pro career included with a win over current IBF welterweight champion Devin Haney in April of 2024 that was overturned and led to a year-long suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
Appeals, legal battles, threats on social media, the Garcia image tarnished some more. An ongoing controversial career all in all for the 28-year-old Mexican-American superstar who trains daily and had an exhibition fight scheduled for December of 2024 cancelled in Japan.
Relentless, Garcia said on his huge social media platforms that he was hanging up the gloves, but of course that never came to fruition. He never quit with the controversy, even having back-and-forth tangles previously with threats to leave Golden Boy Promotions and Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya.
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They made peace though at times one still questions if Garcia and De La Hoya have a good business relationship. Social media is the Garcia forum, daily and at times nasty attacking other fighters, challenging values of life and the political landscape.
Boxing Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya, the head of Golden Boy Promotions, was not in attendance for Thursday afternoon’s Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn press conference in Las Vegas, Nevada – Image Credit: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy Promotions/Getty Images
That’s Ryan Garcia who continued to push, the setback and legitimacy of his career questioned without adorning a major championship around his waist. Until he had a championship, Garcia was not to be taken seriously, but persistence got him to winning the WBC Welterweight championship this past February on a dominant rebound over Mario Barrios.
He finally had a title, a rebound after a lackluster comeback fight loss to Rolando “Rolly” Romero last May that was outdoors in Times Square of New York City. They said Garcia was done, washed up and his desire to fight was not that anymore. The skeptics were wrong.
Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) will look to continue to prove the doubters wrong this Saturday night as he steps in the ring to face off against Conor Benn (25-1, 14) KOs at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – Image Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing
He has many skeptics and always will because Garcia has a foul mouth and pulls theatrics prior to a fight with an opponent that usually gets ugly. Boxing fans tend to stray away from a controversial superstar who was suspended and extend challenges to other social media influencers who already know meeting Garcia will generate enormous income.
Truth is Garcia, one of the top paid fighters in the industry despite fighting legal bills, even with a year of inactivity does not have to fight. Challenge Garcia and money is coming your way, just ask those influencers and others that now want a shot at his title.
Enter Dana White and Zuffa Boxing, new to the boxing game. And with the backing of TKO endeavors also under the WWE Umbrella, Garcia reportedly still under the Golden Boy banner saw his next challenge.
White has Paramount+ as a backer, the rising streaming network that is a platform for UFC. Only Garcia could broker his own deal and test Conor Benn (25-1, 14 KOs), renowned with a powerful punch and a fighter out of the United Kingdom who is coming off an easy one-sided victory over Regis Prograis in April of this year.
Easily made, White admires Garcia and Benn who threw out loyalty with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing signed a mega-fight deal with Zuffa. Perhaps Garcia sees the money, his lethal left is tough to handle. Benn, though, has been able to handle a good punch to the body.
The two will tangle Saturday evening at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, streamed with a Paramount subscription for free. If not, fight fans can watch on DAZN PPV.
Thursday afternoon’s Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn press conference in Las Vegas ahead of Friday’s weigh in and Saturday’s fight night had a ton of drama that is not needed in the sport of boxing – Image Credit: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing
In a nutshell, it’s an anticipated fight. Two stars and of course with the usual back-and-forth banter that gets nasty and out-of-hand.
Garcia’s WBC welterweight title is on the line, confusing because Zuffa and White will not acknowledge the major sanctioning organizations.
The WBC though will honor this defense. The Zuffa and Ring titles are also up for brags.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the World Boxing Council, holding the WBC belt between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn during Thursday afternoon’s press conference in Las Vegas – Image Credit: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing
Regardless, this has been a nasty war of words of Mexican heritage. Garcia is proud of his heritage, Benn questions Garcia about what it means to be Mexican-American as Garcia claims. Benn, though, gives credit to fighters, champions, of Mexican descent who have an illustrious history with the sport.
Benn, too, has not eluded controversy. Like Garcia, he tested positive for PED’s in 2022 and was suspended a year later. He had two controversial and difficult fights with UK rival Chris Eubank. Their first pre-fight build up saw Eubank smash an egg over the head of Benn. The substance denial was about eating an egg and not a steroid.
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That war of words continued on a podium late Thursday afternoon. Staged as it appeared, Garcia and Benn interrupted each other.
Benn could not get in the last word because Garcia is an expert at promoting a championship fight, he played that role with Haney and his recent championship win over Barrios.
Styles make fights, perhaps Garcia sees that. Benn can punch and Prograis was on his last legs and then called it a career. Inactivity does not matter here, both have established themselves to be where they are after their recent fights.
But it does get interesting, a welterweight division with Haney as the IBF champion Teófimo Lopez dethroned Romero in Las Vegas two weeks ago for the WBA belt and turned down a deal with Zuffa—signing instead a three-fight mega contract with DAZN.
Lopez, a three division champion, is destined for another takeover and unification of another division. He was a part of what certainly was a theatrical and staged press conference.
Lopez got to the microphone, in disguise as a Mexican with a beard and questioned Garcia about his heritage. Of course, drama and comical.
More importantly, Lopez will be in the front row and call out the winner; he and Garcia have reportedly made plans for the next one. Lopez is all about a takeover. Benn though is looking at returning to his natural weight at 160, so allow the confusion to continue if he dethrones Garcia.
“If it’s not Connor Benn and Ryan Garcia, it will be the likes of the IBF champ, Liam Paro,” Lopez recently said to me in an exclusive interview with Latino Sports.
“I think that, yeah, we’re here to unify. We’re here to face the next champions and collect all the belts. This is the road to Undisputed. What more can I say?”
Teófimo Lopez will have a front row seat at ringside for Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn this Saturday night with the winner potentially next up for The Takeover – Image Credit: Cris Esqueda/Premier Boxing Champions
Indeed there will be more to say, but we have to await the outcome. Again, styles make fights and for this, it can get thrown out the window. Garcia has speed, is quick, and that left is what opponents claim to be lethal.
If Benn gets inside and has a different strategy that style could disrupt Garcia. Interesting fight, throw out Mexican heritage and Lopez will call out the winner.
Prediction but don’t KO me if I am wrong: Garcia on a stoppage within the first eight rounds.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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