Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn finally collide in a monumental showdown this weekend, and Benn’s former promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed his final prediction.
Benn debuted under Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and remained with the promotional outfit until the beginning of this year, when he dramatically ditched his career-long promoter for a lucrative deal at the newly-established Zuffa Boxing.
With Zuffa, Benn moved down from middleweight (160lb) for a 150lb catchweight clash with Regis Prograis and won on points, before agreeing to a welterweight (147lb) title challenge against WBC champion Garcia, despite not fighting in the division since April 2022.
Speaking to Boxing News, Hearn doubted whether ‘The Destroyer’ would be able to retain the punch power required in order to spring the upset after ‘depleting himself’ to make the weight.
“If he gets his flush on the chin at 147lb against Ryan Garcia, the fight is over. So he’s got to rely on his ability but he likes to engage, he likes to jump in. Ryan is so reactive, he’s a great counter puncher but Ryan can also be hurt, but I don’t think Conor is going to punch hard enough at 147lbs.
“You only have to look at him to know and that is now. Conor trains so hard, I know we have had our differences but his work ethic is incredible. What he is doing to his body, consistently, whilst being depleted, is really, really hard work.
“You can see it in his face. I can actually see it in his eyes, I can see the pain in his eyes.”
Garcia-Benn takes place on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be Benn’s final outing as a welterweight, with the brutal weight cut convincing him that his future lies in the higher weight divisions.
