Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn stalls as Usyk weighs WBC future

Ryan Garcia's public challenge to Conor Benn for September 12 in Las Vegas has yet to produce a signed contract, with the proposed welterweight title defense caught between feuding promoters Golden Boy and Zuffa Boxing. Garcia announced the date during a Jimmy Fallon appearance last month, but sources told ESPN the fighter may be attempting to force Golden Boy's hand on a matchup complicated by the long-running friction between Oscar De La Hoya and Dana White.

Garcia famously pressured Golden Boy into the Gervonta Davis fight in 2023, accepting a rehydration clause and other concessions to secure what became the sixth-biggest gate in U.S. boxing history at $22.8 million. That bout ended in a seventh-round body-shot stoppage loss for Garcia. The current Benn negotiations face an additional wrinkle: Zuffa Boxing's refusal to work with sanctioning bodies could jeopardize the WBC title being on the line, mirroring the IBF's recent stripping of Jai Opetaia when he fought for a Zuffa cruiserweight belt in March.

Usyk considers vacating WBC belt ahead of 40th birthday

Oleksandr Usyk, who turns 40 in January, may bypass WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel in favor of less risky options as he targets just two more fights before retirement. Usyk struggled against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven last month, trailing or level on scorecards through ten rounds before stopping the novice boxer in the 11th. Kabayel told TalkSport he expects Usyk to vacate within a week. "My opinion is that Usyk will not want to make the fight for me," Kabayel said, per the outlet.

Kabayel has won six straight by stoppage, including victories over Zhilei Zhang and Frank Sanchez, but a Verhoeven rematch in the Netherlands would likely draw Usyk better money with lower risk. Usyk entered the Verhoeven bout as a minus-2500 favorite and would command similar odds in a second meeting. ESPN analysts noted Usyk is no longer chasing belts at this career stage, instead prioritizing an undefeated finish like Lennox Lewis, who retired at 37, rather than fighting past 39 as Muhammad Ali did.

Jermall Charlo, last in the ring in May 2025, is targeting a July return after his planned middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight title shot against Armando Resendiz fell through this spring. Jesse Rodriguez continues positioning for a third division title before an anticipated collision with pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue later this year.

Source: espn.com