Conor Benn Issues Direct Warning to Ryan Garcia Following Power Praise
Conor Benn has sent a stark warning to American boxing star Ryan Garcia, telling him he will soon "find out" how hard he hits. This comes after Benn's recent opponent, Regis Prograis, made a surprising claim about the Briton's formidable punching power.
Prograis' Stark Admission After Points Defeat
Last Saturday, Benn secured a comfortable points victory over a faded Regis Prograis in a 150lb catchweight bout. The fight took place on the undercard of Tyson Fury's win against Arslanben Makhmudov. Prograis, aged 37, retired after the contest and openly discussed his pre-fight injury troubles, despite previously downplaying their severity.
However, in a notable post-fight compliment, Prograis took to Instagram to praise Benn's power. He stated in an Instagram story: "One thing I will say about him, you can say what you all want, but Conor Benn's got some f***ing power. Matter of fact, Conor Benn is the hardest puncher I have fought in my whole career, I'm just gonna put it out there like that."
Prograis continued: "You all can say what you all want about Conor Benn, whatever, but Conor Benn's got the most power. He can punch his ass off. Last night we fought with 10oz gloves on, and Conor Benn can punch. So, we can talk about his skill and stuff like that, but man, you know, all it takes is one – and Conor Benn can punch."
Benn's Social Media Response and Garcia Threat
Benn, aged 29, shared this footage on X on Thursday, accompanied by the words: "You'll find out soon enough @RyanGarcia," along with a dynamite emoji. This direct message escalates the brewing rivalry between the two fighters, with Benn clearly targeting Garcia as his next potential opponent.
In his Instagram story, Prograis had overlaid tweets from several high-profile boxers, including world champions Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Shakur Stevenson, as well as retired champion Josh Taylor. Garcia had previously tweeted dismissive comments about Benn, writing "CONNOR BUMM" and expressing willingness to fight him, predicting a stoppage in rounds six or seven.
Wider Boxing Landscape and Potential Matchups
Meanwhile, Taylor was critical, stating "Benn is absolutely rank rotten." Shakur Stevenson boasted, "If he makes it 12 rounds with me I'll be disappointed in myself," while Haney advised: "Conor Benn Stay away." This chorus of opinions highlights Benn's polarizing position in the sport.
After Stevenson's impressive title-unification victory over Teofimo Lopez in January, Benn entered the ring to face off with the American, signaling his ambitions against top US stars. Haney and Garcia remain the other primary names linked to Benn, with Garcia recently dropping and outpointing Mario Barrios in February to become WBC welterweight champion. Before that bout, Benn had also been connected to a potential contest with Barrios, further illustrating his pursuit of high-profile matches.
The boxing world now watches closely as Benn's warning to Garcia sets the stage for a possible explosive showdown, fueled by Prograis' endorsement of Benn's devastating power.
