Davies questioned Benn’s recent form and ability to return fully to 147 pounds ahead of the reported September fight
Gareth A. Davies believes Ryan Garcia will knock out Conor Benn if their reported September 12 fight becomes official later this year. Davies questioned whether Benn can still perform at his best returning to the welterweight limit after spending recent years fighting at higher weights.
Garcia recently announced on Jimmy Fallon that he expects to fight Benn later this year in Las Vegas for the WBC welterweight title. The matchup would easily rank among the biggest commercial fights in boxing outside the heavyweight division, but Davies questioned whether Benn is still the same explosive fighter who built his reputation between 2019 and 2022.
“Conor Benn hasn’t fought 147 pounds flat for the last four years,” said British journalist Davies to talkSport Boxing. “His last fight was a 150-pound catchweight against Regis Prograis. He hasn’t hit 147 for four years.”
“Regis Prograis is a slippery, slick southpaw at the tail end of his career on the way down at the moment. Even though Conor Benn won handily, he didn’t look full of vim and vigor. The tensile strength is there, but he didn’t look like the wrecking ball that fought middleweight against Chris Eubank Jr. in the second fight.”
Davies said Benn still brings aggression and pressure, but questioned whether the destructive version that scored a string of knockouts before his 2022 suspension saga still exists.
“When was the last time you saw it, though?” Gareth said. “He had two efforts at 154, and he didn’t look amazing. He went up to 160, lost one, won one. The second one that he won, it was a very calculated performance.”
“Now he’s come back down all the way down to 150, which is a lot. And he’s 29 now. We think of him as a 24-year-old, don’t we? He’s 29 now.”
Davies believes the weight issue could become a serious problem against Garcia, who remains one of the biggest punchers at welterweight with his left hook.
“If he has really struggled at the weight, he’s going to struggle against Garcia, who is a massive puncher at welterweight with both left and right hooks, notably that left hook,” Davies said.
“It’s a dangerous fight for him. I think it’ll deliver all the way to the fight, but I’m afraid I think he’ll get knocked out by Ryan Garcia, unless he knocks Garcia out himself.”
