Ryan Garcia ripped through Conor Benn in a blink, retaining his WBC welterweight world title with a TKO victory in the second round out in Las Vegas. That’s just over four minutes of fight time in the T-Mobile Arena, folks, and “The Destroyer” Benn was absolutely done.
Garcia’s Right Hand Bombshell
This wasn’t a long night for Garcia, who truly made the lightest of work of Conor Benn. Early in round two, the Californian dropped Benn with what the source called a “bomb of a right hand.” You saw it, I saw it, it was pure power! Benn, to his credit, managed to climb back to his feet, but Garcia wasn’t about to let him off the hook. He immediately started “pounding away against the ropes” until referee Thomas Taylor had no choice but to step in and stop the fight. Garcia had questioned Benn’s “punch resistance” leading up to this bout, especially after Benn’s “massive weight cut,” and frankly, Garcia looked “on the money” with that assessment. It was an eye-catching performance that proved he’s a force. Post-fight, Garcia, who is famously “famed for his left hook,” even said, “I’ve always had a right hand, but I always had injuries.” Well, that right hand looks perfectly healthy now! The drama exploded even further when Garcia didn’t just celebrate. He immediately called WBA champion Teofimo Lopez into the ring, sparking “chaotic scenes” as Lopez and his father literally “clashed with security.” Talk about turning up the heat right after a big win!
Undercard Delivers the Goods
The T-Mobile Arena crowd saw more than just the main event fireworks, though. The undercard brought some serious heat too. In the chief support bout, Jai Opetaia became the “first man to stop Noel Mikaelian,” earning a ninth-round TKO. This secured him the WBC, The Ring, and Zuffa cruiserweight titles. Opetaia actually got “wobbled in the seventh round,” but he showed true grit and bounced back hard, landing a “devastating combination” on the WBC champ at 200 pounds. That kind of comeback instantly sets up a “potential cruiserweight firecracker with David Benavidez.” How exciting is that for the future? Earlier in the night, rising American heavyweight Da’Mazion Vanhouter scored another knockout win, blasting Raphael Akpejiori out in the first round. And Andres Cortes kept his undefeated streak alive, moving to an impressive 26-0 with a “well-earned 10-round decision victory” over former world champion Mark Magsayo. All three judges scored that one 97-93 for Cortes.
Ryan Garcia’s TKO victory in Las Vegas was a massive statement, plain and simple. He retained his WBC welterweight title, put that powerful right hand on full display, and then immediately went after Teofimo Lopez in a wild, confrontational moment. The welterweight division just got a whole lot more interesting, and we’ll be watching closely to see if that “chaotic scene” leads directly to the next undisputed mega-fight everyone wants to see. What a night for boxing!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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