Ryan Garcia is seeking a first successful defence of the WBC welterweight world title on Saturday as he goes toe-to-toe with Conor Benn in a high-profile clash, and now esteemed fight analyst Teddy Atlas has made his pick for the fight.
Garcia looked to be back to his best when he dethroned Mario Barrios in a dominant showing back in February, dropping ‘El Azteca’ in the opening round of the contest before cruising to a unanimous-decision win.
As for Benn, he has not fought as a welterweight in over four years and has already admitted that this will be his final appearance at 147lbs, with a difficult weight cut leading many to question what version of ‘The Destroyer’ we’ll see the ring come fight night.
However, on his podcast, ‘The Fight with Teddy Atlas’, Atlas gave his thoughts on the contest, believing that the physicality and aggression of the Briton can cause problems for ‘King Ry’.
“I don’t think that he [Benn] can ever rise up to the level that he was in those fights [against Chris Eubank Jr.], even for Garcia, I don’t think that he can get up to that level, but he is going to have to get to the highest level that he can.
“If he can get close to that level – and I don’t think that he can get to that level as far as being ready mentally and physically – I think that it can be an interesting fight because I think that he brings the physicality that can give him what he needs against Garcia. But, he is going to have to go to a bad neighbourhood and not get mugged, as I like to say.
“He has to get in close, he is not going to win on the outside, he is going to have to go through a bad neighbourhood without getting countered by the left-hook or the right-hand and hurt, because Garcia can hurt you and he is a good counter-puncher.
“If he can do that, and not get tied-up – because that is another issue – get in close and do work, keep his hands free, use his feet, half-steps back, whatever he has got to do to not get smothered, to not get tied-up, if he can do that then I think that he can win the fight.”
“I give him a good chance as an underdog.”
The view from Atlas will be put to the test when Garcia-Benn takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
