The old saying goes, “You can play football, basketball, or baseball, but you don’t play boxing.” This phrase has long highlighted how brutal and demanding boxing is. But as we enter 2026, how accurate is that notion?
Just last Saturday, and on multiple occasions before, Dave Allen stepped into the ring significantly overweight for his bout against Thomas Carty in front of over 83,000 fans at a sold-out national stadium. Meanwhile, Ryan Garcia openly admitted to heavy cannabis use and drinking during his training camp for his notorious 2024 fight against Devin Haney. Both seemed to be merely “playing” boxing rather than fully committed to it.
Allen has repeatedly shown up out of shape—sometimes barely training at all—yet the sport has still rewarded him with substantial paychecks. Hundreds of more skilled and dedicated fighters will never receive the one-in-a-dozen opportunities Allen has enjoyed. Similarly, Garcia’s substance use before a big title fight hardly harmed his career or reputation.
It appears that some fighters really can “play” boxing occasionally, unlike the old belief. Ryan Garcia and his upcoming opponent, WBC welterweight challenger Conor Benn, exemplify how boxing’s top earners aren’t always its most skilled or deserving competitors. Big fights and lucrative chances often go to those who have done the least to merit them. Both Garcia and Benn share another common factor—they have failed drug tests.
Benn tested positive twice for the fertility drug clomiphene in 2022 but wasn’t banned. Less than two weeks after Garcia’s biggest win over Haney, it was revealed he tested positive for ostarine. In other sports, these offenses would lead to years on the sidelines. But in boxing, Garcia faced just a lenient 12-month suspension, essentially barring him from only one fight given the sport’s infrequent schedule. Benn’s case was dismissed by an independent anti-doping panel, raising questions over whether a less well-funded fighter would have escaped so easily.
Boxing’s biggest stars have never been harshly punished for such violations. During his suspension, Garcia remained visibly involved in the sport—attending events, meeting rivals, and discussing his comeback—with no real consequence to his standing. Most disappointing of all was the absence of any stigma. Unlike in merit-based sports, Garcia wasn’t asked to re-earn his place. Even before serving his full suspension, it was announced he would return for a world title fight against Rolando “Rolly” Romero.
Garcia lost that fight in a historically poor performance, yet was still granted another title shot. This time, he finally shined by dethroning Mario Barrios, giving his career some belated validity. Barrios was arguably a weak champion, but Garcia’s victory was legitimate since you can only beat who’s in front of you. Garcia earned his opportunity not through ranking or merit, but as the most commercially appealing opponent. This reinforces boxing’s tendency to value popularity over true merit, from which Garcia has greatly benefited.
Now, Benn is set as Garcia’s mandatory challenger—but why? Simply put, Benn is a major star whose previous promoter, Matchroom, skillfully advanced his career. In 2025, Benn went 1-1 in two high-profile middleweight fights against Chris Eubank Jr., and Matchroom successfully secured his position as the WBC’s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger at 147 pounds. This is despite Benn not having fought in the welterweight division since April 2022 or having recorded a significant victory there.
Souleymane Cissokho, who won a WBC final eliminator against top contender Egidijus Kavaliauskas in May 2025, deserved to be next for a title shot. Yet, as so often happens in boxing, he was sidelined to make room for a far bigger name. Garcia’s career has been a nonstop chain of big fights, despite knockout losses, controversial online behavior, a failed drug test, and poor performances. None of this has stopped him from landing huge opportunities.
Benn’s rise has been built on his famous lineage as Nigel Benn’s son. Though a novice early on, he was given the spotlight and luxury to develop under intense public scrutiny, and a high-profile rivalry with Eubank produced massive paydays. Now a top star, Benn is about to earn another eight-figure purse for a fourth straight fight, yet it remains unclear if he truly belongs among boxing’s elite.
Neither Garcia nor Benn ranks among boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters, and they may not even be the top welterweights worldwide. Still, when they meet this Saturday, millions will watch a genuine superfight. This is what boxing looks like in 2026.
Fan Take: This story highlights the troubling reality that in modern boxing, marketability often overshadows merit and discipline. For fighting fans, it raises concerns about the sport’s integrity but also underscores the enduring allure of spectacle, which could shape boxing’s future for better or worse.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
