Ryan Garcia says Conor Benn confrontation turned personal

Ryan Garcia has promised a one-sided beating for Conor Benn after recalling a heated encounter at an awards ceremony. The American said the British fighter grabbed him in front of his wife two years ago.

“He's from across the pond - his name is Conor Benn. He's been talking a lot, he's talking crazy. He actually confronted me at an awards show two years ago. My wife was there and he pressed me, grabbed me, so it's a little personal. We'll be ready to go. I'm going to put a whooping on this man.”

— Ryan Garcia, via BBC Sport

What Ryan Garcia said

Garcia is targeting a matchup with Benn after months of back-and-forth between the two welterweights. Benn has kept his name in contention with repeated call-outs while Garcia returns from a year-long ban. The pair have not been formally matched but both have spoken about making the fight happen.

What it moves

Garcia told BBC Sport the incident has left a mark on how he views the potential bout. "He's from across the pond - his name is Conor Benn. He's been talking a lot, he's talking crazy. He actually confronted me at an awards show two years ago. My wife was there and he pressed me, grabbed me, so it's a little personal. We'll be ready to go. I'm going to put a whooping on this man." Benn has yet to respond publicly to the comments.

Source: bbc.com. Full Ryan Garcia fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.