Boxing World Turns On Conor Benn

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn shared his take on a Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn showdown, predicting that “King Ry” would likely emerge victorious. 

Benn currently sits as the WBC mandatory challenger at welterweight, a position he solidified after a unanimous decision win (98-92 x3) over former two-time champion Regis Prograis. The fight was a 10-round 150-lb catchweight affair. Despite the win, Benn was forced to work through grueling rounds against a 37-year-old Prograis, failing to find a knockout. 

Hearn Reacts

Following Benn’s win on Saturday, Ryan Garcia—who captured the WBC welterweight title from Mario Barrios in February—immediately took to social media to accept the challenge. Benn recently signed a multi-year deal with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, but Hearn had doubts over Benn beating Garcia.

“Honestly, before Saturday, if I was his promoter, I would be saying that I think he [Benn] wins the fight, that I think that he can hurt him [Garcia] but that I think that it is a very tough fight. Now, I’m not his promoter, I still think that can hurt him but I don’t know if he can at 147lbs. I was watching that [Prograis] fight thinking, ‘you don’t look like you have any power or zip in your punches. Whereas, up at 154lbs at 160lbs, you looked strong’. Listen, it might have just been a poor performance, who knows?,” Hearn said

Other Critics

Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell (20-4-0, 16 KOs) has also hit back at Conor Benn (25-1-0, 14 KOs), dismissing the welterweight’s standing in the sport in the aftermath of the latter’s win over Regis Prograis last Saturday.

Benn took to social media to call out Ryan Garcia by mocking King Ry’s performance against Campbell. Campbell—the man who once dropped Garcia in a 2021 loss—intervened to question if Benn truly belongs amongst the elite. Campbell, who retired in 2021, argued that his own resume holds more weight than Benn’s current run. Campbell credited Eddie Hearn for “masterfully” guiding Benn’s rise. He suggested that Benn has been protected from world-class boxers.

“You’re insulting Garcia because I dropped him. @ConorNigel, you’re nowhere near my level. If I were to come out of retirement, you’d be a warm-up fight. @EddieHearn has done an unbelievable job promoting and protecting your career,” Campbell stated

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