American boxer Ryan Garcia successfully defended his World Boxing Council welterweight title on Saturday by stopping Britain’s Conor Benn in the second round in Las Vegas. Garcia landed a powerful right hand to Benn’s chin just 45 seconds into the round, sending him to the canvas, and continued delivering relentless punches until referee Thomas Taylor halted the match after one minute and 25 seconds of the round.
“I’m just happy,” Garcia expressed. “I feel at peace. I’ve got that joy and that peace and it feels great.”
Garcia’s record now stands at 26-2, with 21 wins by knockout or stoppage, denying Benn—who was competing in his first world title fight—the chance to follow in the footsteps of his father, former British world champion Nigel Benn. The fight took place at T-Mobile Arena, where Garcia originally won the title in February by unanimous decision over Mario Barrios.
At 28 years old, Garcia was making his first defense of his 147-pound (66.7kg) title. Benn, 29, who had previously beaten Regis Prograis by unanimous decision in April and avenged his only loss against Chris Eubank Jr. last November, dropped to 25-2 with this defeat.
Both fighters started aggressively, exchanging fast-paced punches until Garcia’s decisive blow changed the course of the fight. Although Benn got back up, he was overwhelmed in the closing moments of the bout.
After the fight, Garcia challenged fellow welterweight champions Devin Haney of the World Boxing Organization and Teofimo Lopez of the World Boxing Association. “Where are you at? It’s unification time,” Garcia declared.
Fan Take: This dominant win by Ryan Garcia not only cements his status as a top welterweight but also sets the stage for some highly anticipated unification bouts. For fight fans, this signals an exciting era ahead with potential blockbuster matchups that could unify titles and elevate the sport to new heights.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
