Eddie Hearn explains why Benn won’t beat Garcia
The former Matchroom promoter believes the weight cut will ultimately cost Conor Benn against Ryan Garcia.
Although Eddie Hearn and Conor Benn parted ways publicly and acrimoniously in February, Eddie Hearn is setting his personal opinion aside and trying to assess the fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn objectively. Nevertheless, he does not believe that Conor Benn can beat Ryan Garcia.
The chairman of Matchroom Boxing is convinced that Conor Benn will reach his physical limits at welterweight, which will significantly reduce his punching power. That’s why Eddie Hearn is certain that Ryan Garcia will defend his title on September 12.
“I don’t like Conor Benn at 147 pounds, we saw him at 150 for the Regis Prograis fight. He looked like he lacked power. He looked tired at the weight down there and I think Ryan will be much too heavy-handed for him. But he’s got big balls and he’ll have a right go. I just don’t think at 147 he can win that fight”
Hearn told The Ring.
Conor Benn must make the 147-pound welterweight limit for this fight for the first time since April 2022. Although he won that fight in the second round against Chris van Heerden, Conor Benn has since fought all three of his subsequent bouts above that weight.
On top of that, he hasn’t scored another knockout since that victory over Chris van Heerden. That fight took place five months before it was revealed that Conor Benn had tested positive twice for clomiphene, which is a banned substance. Given all these facts, Hearn is confident that Ryan Garcia will win the fight, and his prediction is therefore as follows:
Eddie Hearn has presented many arguments that are reasonable and understandable. However, I believe that Conor Benn shouldn’t be underestimated despite all of this. In a title fight, there’s much more to it than just punching power. Nerves and tactics play a very big role, and Conor Benn has proven that many times before. I’m not yet sure who I think has the edge in this fight, what do you think?