Ryan Garcia Felt Nothing From Conor Benn’s Power

Ryan Garcia expected Conor Benn to charge forward and test his willingness to fight under pressure. What he did not encounter was the punching power that had been used to sell Benn as a serious threat at welterweight.

“I’m going to tell the truth here. No, I did not feel his power,” Garcia said during Saturday night’s post-fight press conference.

Benn (25-2) had rehydrated to 178.4 pounds with his clothes on roughly 10 hours after making 146 for the WBC title fight. That number caused plenty of alarm before the opening bell, but the added bulk never became a weapon against Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs).

Garcia said he did not notice the size difference either.

“No, not at all. I was sparring big guys, 180s. Real 180s. I don’t know if he. There’s no way he rehydrated 180,” said Ryan about Benn. “That’s insane. My sparring partner was 180, and that dude kept coming. Angel Fierro. We knew the way we were sparring and everything. It didn’t matter what weight he came in at. He was getting what he got.”

Benn’s pressure lacked the control needed to make his physical strength count. He rushed into range, dipped repeatedly to avoid Garcia’s left hook and left openings for uppercuts and right hands. Garcia spent the first round reading those movements before holding his ground in the second.

The difference was not simply that Garcia punched harder. He saw Benn’s attacks early enough to remain balanced and fire between them. Benn never forced him into the uncomfortable fight many expected.

That is damaging for Benn because aggression and physical force form such a large part of his identity in the ring. If neither one troubled Garcia, the 32.4-pound increase after the scale offered little beyond a dramatic number.

Garcia had been criticized as a fighter who became uneasy when opponents crowded him. Benn built his entire plan around testing that belief. Instead, he charged directly into Garcia’s timing and was stopped at 1:25 of the second round.

The weight was there. The power Garcia had been warned about was not.