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Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson or someone else? What about Conor Benn now?

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2 months ago

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LONDON – After a unanimous decision victory over Regis Prograis on Saturday, Conor Benn’s biggest fight will now be against Ryan Garcia.

Welterweight fighter Benn (25-1, 14 KO), 29, had a lot going for him in his non-title fight against Prograis (30-4, 24 KO) in front of around 60,000 spectators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after deciding to switch promoters from Matchroom to Zuffa Boxing as part of a lucrative contract.

Was it worth his reported $15 million payday? Benn was unable to secure the knockout that would have sealed a dominant performance and provided real value for money, but he only lost two rounds and the victory still boosts his welterweight world title hopes by the end of the year.

Much like Tyson Fury’s victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Benn’s UD victory over former junior welterweight champion Prograis was a stepping stone to something bigger.

While Fury is eyeing a potential megafight with fellow former champion Anthony Joshua, Benn is only targeting the biggest names in the welterweight division, with American Garcia at the top of his wish list.

Benn, who lives in Essex, described it as “the best decision of my career” to leave Matchroom for Zuffa and face Prograis in a ten-round non-title fight, fighting three pounds over the welterweight limit.

Prograis, 37, from Up-to-date Orleans but based in Las Vegas, earlier this week denied suffering an injury during training, but the American’s movements seemed confined and prevented him from applying sustained pressure.

After losing the WBC junior welterweight title to Devin Haney on points in 2023, it was Prograis’ third loss in four fights and sent him into retirement.

Benn is now a free agent after signing a one-fight deal, although Zuffa is expected to be a prime candidate to work with him again. The biggest one for Zuffa and Benn would be Garcia. Benn is desperate to fight for his first world title, and preferably the WBC belt, which his father Nigel held at super middleweight from 1992 to 1995.

Garcia seemed to welcome the reunion on social media, saying, “I’m depressed. Garcia vs. Benn. Let’s do it.”

Like Benn, Garcia is loud and there will be enough nonsense to ensure the viewership will make it one of the most watched boxing events this year, potentially on Netflix.

Garcia (25-2, 20 KO), the 27-year-old Los Angeles native, won the WBC belt with a UD points victory over Mario Barrios in February, and his hand speed will make this his toughest test yet for Benn, even if jumping two weight classes to face English rival Eubank was quite the task.

WBO champion and ESPN welterweight No. 1 Devin Haney (33-0-1 NC, 15 KO), Brian Norman (28-1, 22 KO), who lost to Haney on points in November, and WBA champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (17-2, 13 KO) are the next candidates to fight Benn, who is commercially attractive to Zuffa due to his drawing power in the UK in the last three fights taking place in front of huge gates in open-air stadiums in London.

Romero caused an upset when he unanimously overtook Garcia in Times Square almost a year ago and was most recently linked to a title unification fight with Haney.

IBF belt holder Lewis Crocker is promoted by Hearn’s Matchroom, so it seems unlikely he would fight Benn now.

Shakur Stevenson (25-0, 11 KO), the WBO junior welterweight champion, is another option, but the American’s deft skills and movement would be a arduous challenge for Benn and a surprising choice for Zuffa given the investment in the English boxer.

However, a fight against Garcia, who has nearly 13 million followers on social media, is likely to attract the attention of more than just die-hard boxing fans and will certainly be Zuffa’s No. 1 priority.

Whoever Benn faces next – Garcia, Romero, Haney and Teofimo Lopez are top picks – the English boxer can expect a tougher fight than Prograis.

The catchweight limit of 150 pounds (three pounds above the welterweight limit) was the lowest Benn has fought since 2022, following two middleweight fights against Chris Eubank Jr. and prohibition following a positive drug test.

There was some concern that Benn would be weakened by the weight cut, but he showed unrelenting performance and a forceful jab in the first half of the fight.

It was nasty at times – Benn was caught lunging too much for the southpaw Prograis.

Benn finished the fight with cuts around both eyes, but his work rate and aggression kept the decision open (98-92 on all three scorecards).

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Peter Fury supports British fighter who promises to become ‘the best in the world’: ‘I will take him to the top’

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1 hour ago

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June 23, 2026

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Peter Fury backs the British fighter who vows to become ‘the best in the world’: “I’ll take him to the top”

Peter Fury is receiving praise for his latest efforts as a coach, but there is one player the 58-year-old admitted he is “really excited about”, promising to take him to the very top of the sport.

Fury’s famous nephew, Tyson Fury, trained him to a unified heavyweight world title, orchestrating an iconic victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015but upon his return, the “Gypsy King” decided to hire a up-to-date cornerback.

Since then, Peter Fury has continued to train his son, Hughie Fury, and guided Savannah Marshall to the undisputed super middleweight world title, but he recently drew praise for his partnership with Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, who pushed Oleksandr Usyk to the limit in his fight for the heavyweight crown last month.

However, while Verhoeven impressed on the massive stage under Fury’s tutelage, the veteran coach is now trying to develop multiple national amateur champion and nephew, James Dean Fury, into a superstar.

I’m talking to Boxing King’s MediaJames Dean Fury certainly anticipated his rise to the top, believing that experience is the only thing currently keeping him from mixing at an elite level after announcing his move to the professional scene.

“Right now, all I want to do is achieve the best version of myself and fulfill my dream of becoming world champion, and whoever it is at that moment will definitely achieve it. I believe in myself, I believe that I am the best in the world and all I need is experience and rounds, and then I will definitely achieve it.”

Meanwhile, in a conversation with About boxingPeter Fury has declared he is “really excited” as he prepares to train another nephew to become a world champion.

“I’m really excited about him because he’s as good as he says he is. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be with me. He’s been with me since I was a baby, he’s close to me, I look at him like he’s my boy, like he’s my son. I have a vested interest in him because he’s my boy, right? He’s my brother’s son and I’ve had him since I was a baby.”

“So for me there’s a great reward waiting for me, to be able to see this adolescent guy fight his way to the top – and he will. He will do it because I can do it and if I have something to do with it, he will definitely do it. Believe me, he is a real talent.”

James Dean Fury has signed a contract with BOXXER and Boxing News understands he could make his professional ring debut Undercard Williamson-Simpson II in Leeds on Saturday, August 8.

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Floyd Mayweather says ‘I’m on my way’ as fight in Greece faces legal threat

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3 hours ago

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June 23, 2026

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Floyd Mayweather alongside a graphic detailing claims connected to proposed boxing events involving Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson

Floyd Mayweather insists he is heading to Greece this week despite a growing legal dispute that could cast a shadow over the event.

The undefeated boxing legend sent a direct message to Greek fans on Tuesday amid ongoing preparations for his June 27 event against kickboxing star Mike Zambidis in Athens.

“I want to thank everyone, I want to thank you for all the support. Greece, I’m on my way.

“Let’s have fun, let’s have fun and give the people what they want to see. Greece, I’m on my way.”

The news comes as a growing controversy surrounds several proposed Mayweather-related events involving Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather presses forward

The recently disclosed arbitration request involving plaintiffs Jaspreet Mathur and EMI Capital LLC focuses on contracts related to proposed Mayweather events involving Tyson and Pacquiao.

The dispute names Jona Rechnitz and entities affiliated with Frist Apex Ventures among respondents and fits into an increasingly complicated picture of Mayweather’s exhibition plans.

At the same time, social media related to the case publicly alleged that rights related to Mayweather’s planned return to professional boxing had been sold to separate event producers.

The claims remain allegations, and Mayweather has not publicly addressed the latest filing.

What he did was further promote Greece.

While the arbitration proceedings are ongoing elsewhere, Mayweather is acting as if the June 27 date remains on track.

Collision course

The exhibition in Greece is moving forward and the controversy surrounding Tyson and Pacquiao is gaining momentum.

It’s unclear whether these proceedings will ultimately impact any of the proposed events, but Mayweather shows no signs of changing course.

Just a few weeks ago, attention focused on whether shows featuring Mike Zambidis, Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson could co-exist on the same schedule.

The focus now is on whether these plans will survive the increasingly public battle over the broader project.

For now, Athens remains on the calendar, with only days left until the first bell.

Despite the growing controversy surrounding the feud, Mayweather appears determined to keep the event going in Greece.

His message to Greece remains unchanged.

“I’m on my way.”

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Promoter Naoya Inoue points to two main fights that will start in February 2027.

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3 hours ago

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June 23, 2026

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Image: Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani Hits $30M Gate, 500K PPVs Early

Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue’s future plans are starting to take shape after promoter Hideyuki Ohashi revealed that a large fight is already planned for February 2027.

“Right now we’re working on the December pairing. Then next February, if I say there’s a large fight, you’ll probably know what I’m talking about. It’s already in the works. Then we’ll do another one in an amazing place,” Ohashi said to Yahoo Japan.

The comments included mentioning the opponent, but they will probably intensify speculation about the fight with Jesse Rodriguez. The undefeated American recently moved up to bantamweight and won the WBA title with a victory over Antonio Vargas.


Rodriguez’s trainer, Robert Garcia, has indicated that the plan is for Rodriguez to have one more fight before moving up to super bantamweight. Potential bantamweight opponents include WBA champion Seiya Tsutsumi and WBO titleholder Christian Medina, while Rodriguez is still looking for bigger opportunities.

While most of the attention will focus on the February schedule, Ohashi’s reference to another event in an “unusual location” suggests that discussions may already be underway about a second major appearance beyond the expected fight in early 2027.

Inoue defeated Junto Nakatani by unanimous decision in May at the Tokyo Dome, retaining his undisputed championship in a fight that attracted enormous attention across Japan. The victory improved his professional record to 31-0 and further strengthened his position as one of boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters.

Ohashi’s latest comments represent the clearest indication yet that Inoue’s early 2027 schedule is already in the works, with plans moving beyond a single marquee event. Regardless of whether the February fight ultimately involves Rodriguez or another opponent, the promoter has made it clear that preparations are already underway for the next phase of Inoue’s career.

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Last updated: 23/06/2026 at 1:15

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