Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn Preview: Two Stars Collide for Welterweight Glory

Britain’s Conor Benn is travelling to Las Vegas to try and capture the WBC welterweight title from the always-exciting Ryan Garcia in a potential all-time classic. Both men share a dislike for one another, which adds to the story of the showdown.

The fight is backed by Zuffa Boxing and represents another major event for the promotion.

The champion is looking to make the first defence of his welterweight title this weekend after a career-best performance in winning the belt from Mario Barrios in March of this year.

Before winning a world title, Garcia was already a huge name in the sport, amassing a massive following across social media and having marquee fights against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Devin Haney.

With a record of 25-2-1, the 28-year-old has proven he is willing to make the big fights happen rather than look for easier opposition. His two defeats have come against Tank and Rolly Romero, and although Garcia was defeated, he has shown an ability to build from these setbacks.

The California native has an extensive amateur pedigree with over 200 wins before turning professional in 2016. He quickly became a top prospect in the sport with the support of Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions.

His career hasn’t been short of controversy, but Garcia will now be hoping to leave those issues behind him and establish himself as one of boxing’s biggest stars. After his positive PED test in the aftermath of the Devin Haney fight, Garcia faced a lot of criticism.

This weekend is another significant moment in the career of the American, and a victory could further cement Garcia’s position as one of boxing’s biggest names, with more major fights on the horizon.

The challenger is not just fighting for a title this weekend, but instead for his own legacy and his family name. Benn does not have the same amateur experience as his opponent, but he makes up for this with pure dedication.

While being the son of a legend may have its benefits in the sport of boxing, it can also be a curse. Being Nigel Benn’s son instantly made the boxing world familiar with Conor, but in his early career, many doubted how far he could progress.

Having only started boxing at seventeen, he made up for lost time by being in the gym and training relentlessly. Over time, with the backing of Matchroom Boxing, the improvements in his career began to show.

The highlight of his career so far has been the pair of fights with family rival Chris Eubank Jr. These bouts took place last year and had a dramatic build-up. The first contest was a fight of the year contender, with both men living up to their fathers’ legacies. Benn lost the fight via decision.

In the rematch, Benn showcased a more mature approach, keeping his distance and utilising his jab, which was crucial in the fight. It was a dominant decision victory, and in the aftermath, he made it clear he would move back to welterweight to try and win a world title.

Winning the same WBC title as his dad would be a poetic moment in the career of Conor Benn. However, this is the most difficult fight of his career, with questions surrounding whether he can safely make the weight and people highlighting his inexperience. Once again, he has an opportunity to silence the doubters.

The champion will look to control the distance of the fight and lead Benn onto his counters. He is one of the fastest punchers in the sport and has incredible precision when landing, especially with his left hook.

He has 20 knockouts in his career, and although his left hook is his signature shot, in recent times he has shown a variety of devastating weapons, such as his body work, which could be essential in slowing down the challenger.

For the Brit, he will have to be wary of the traps Garcia will try to set and make sure he doesn’t walk onto the counters. However, Benn does his best work fighting at an exhausting pace on the front foot, so he won’t want to completely change his approach for this fight.

One way Benn could have success is with his sharp jab, which is something Haney had success with against Garcia. If Benn can establish it early, it may make the American more predictable and expose openings in his defence.

Saturday night brings together a genuine grudge match and two styles that should produce fireworks. Garcia’s rapid counters will be matched against Benn’s relentless pressure and combinations, with two of the most exciting fighters in the sport competing for welterweight glory.

For Garcia, victory would strengthen his position as one of boxing’s biggest stars. For Benn, it would deliver the world title he has chased and add another chapter to his family’s boxing legacy.