Johnny Nelson calls Benn’s fight with Garcia a world-class test in the US
British boxer Conor Benn will have his first fight for a world championship title in Las Vegas, United States. In the early hours of Sunday, he will face Ryan Garcia in a bout for the WBC welterweight belt. Expert Johnny Nelson believes Benn still has to prove his level in world-class fights, while Garcia may be faster and more accurate.
As Sky Sports News reports, the title fight will take place at the T-Mobile Arena. In February, Garcia became the new WBC champion after knocking down Mario Barrios and defeating him on points. He had previously also fought Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis.
A chance for Benn
Nelson did not rule out an unexpected victory for Benn, although he pointed to his lack of experience in fights at this level. The expert noted that there have been cases in boxing history when Britons won titles in the United States against expectations. He mentioned Lloyd Honeyghan, as well as Conor Benn’s father, Nigel Benn, who defeated Iran Barkley.
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Conor Benn moved up to middleweight for two fights against Chris Eubank Jr. He lost the first bout on points, but won the rematch convincingly on the judges’ scorecards. In the second fight, Benn knocked his opponent down twice. He also defeated former world champion Chris Algieri.
Weight and class advantage
Before meeting Garcia, the 29-year-old Benn was cutting weight to a figure close to 147 pounds. Nelson suggested that this could reduce the boxer’s natural power, which he displayed in a higher weight class, but would not deprive him of speed and activity in attack. According to the expert, Benn had previously ended fights with convincing victories on numerous occasions.
Nelson called this bout a kind of graduation exam for Benn. At the same time, he expects Garcia to have an advantage in class and to be fast and accurate. The expert warned that overconfidence, underestimation, or insufficient concentration by the reigning WBC champion could give Benn a chance of victory.
