Sanchez Calls Benn A Carcass, Favors Teofimo Over Ryan

Abel Sanchez leans toward Teofimo Lopez over Ryan Garcia, pointing out that Conor Benn arrived in no condition to give anyone a real gauge of Ryan’s welterweight potential.

Last Saturday, Ryan looked rapid, explosive, and settled at 147 pounds during his two-round demolition of Benn. Still, Benn basically walked into the firing squad by charging recklessly into Ryan’s trademark left hook. Lopez presents a completely different puzzle and rarely gifts opponents free real estate inside the ring.

“I would have to give Teo the advantage a little bit because Ryan was in against a guy that was depleted, a guy that was a carcass of himself,” Sanchez told Fight Hub TV. “How do you gauge Ryan for the future? It wasn’t somebody that was there 100%. Tio fought somebody that was there 100% and gave him a fight. For those reasons, I have to give the edge to Teo.”

Benn reportedly jumped from 146 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in to an astonishing 178.4 pounds by that night. Ryan did his job by liquidating a vulnerable target immediately, but finishing an empty shell in four minutes leaves major questions about his engine at the new weight.

Those answers mean something against someone with Teofimo’s championship pedigree. Ryan has yet to prove his speed and snap hold up over twelve rounds at 147. Lopez already knows how to ride out rough water, having worked through testing moments against Sandor Martin, Josh Taylor, and Rolly Romero without losing his head. Sanchez expects Lopez to control center ring through measured pressure rather than wild swarming. Lopez relies on feints and lateral steps to dictate distance, a tactic that forces Ryan to build offense from scratch instead of waiting for a target to run directly into a counter.

Walking Ryan down carries clear danger. Lopez must shave away distance without stepping into the left hook. Teofimo also has a habit of getting cocky once he feels in control, giving opponents free openings to get back in the contest. Teofimo still brings the deeper bag of tools. He counters in flurries, digs to the body, and switches cadence when his primary game plan meets resistance. Ryan, on the other hand, remains heavily dependent on timing that single explosive bomb.

Sanchez views the clash as practically dead-even while giving Lopez the slight nod. Ryan brings superior reach, height, and raw hand speed. Teofimo counters with ring craft, distance control, and the ring sense to adjust under fire.