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Conor Benn tells Ryan Garcia after victory: “Keep my belt balmy”

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4 months ago

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Conor Benn didn’t have to wait long. Moments after his unanimous decision victory over Regis Prograis on Saturday night, the 29-year-old Briton grabbed the microphone and turned his attention to the fighter holding the belt he wants most.

“I want the next Ryan Garcia,” Benn said in the ring on the Netflix broadcast. “Garcia, balmy my belt. September, let’s go.”

Benn, who improved to 25-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a dominant 10-round decision over the former two-time super lightweight champion, has been the WBC’s mandatory challenger to Garcia’s welterweight title for months. Saturday’s performance, while not the explosive stoppage that some predicted, was exactly the kind of victory that was intended to force the hand of the sanctioning body.

“Garcia, I want my belt, keep it balmy!” repeated Benn. “I think me and Ryan are doing the stadium. This is a monster fight!!”

Garcia responds within minutes

Garcia didn’t keep Benn waiting. Minutes after the final bell, the WBC welterweight champion posted the following statement on X: “I’m losing to GARCIA VS BENN. Let’s do it!!!!!!”

The post quickly surpassed 3.6 million views. Benn quoted Garcia’s response with his own direct message: “This belt is mine @RyanGarcia.”

The exchange was the most direct public engagement between the two fighters to date. While Benn had been calling for the fight since Garcia won the WBC title with a dominant decision over Mario Barrios in February, Garcia’s immediate and enthusiastic response marked a shift from the non-committal stance champions typically take towards mandatory challengers.

Construction was underway

Benn stepped up his rhetoric ahead of the Prograis fight. In pre-fight interviews earlier this week, he acknowledged Garcia’s attractiveness while questioning his credibility.

“I think Garcia is suitable for boxing, he has character and he is entertaining, but he is also a liability,” Benn said.

The commentary captured the tension at the heart of the potential matchup. Garcia, 27, is one of boxing’s biggest commercial attractions and a fighter whose career has been defined by both turbulence outside the ring and brilliance inside it. His path to the WBC welterweight title took place through a failed drug test, a suspension, a heavyweight loss to Efe Ajagba and years of social media controversy before Barrios’ performance finally earned him the world title his talent always promised.

Benn’s career had its share of setbacks, including a protracted doping investigation by the British Boxing Control Board and the British Anti-Doping Commission that clouded his reputation for the better part of two years. However, having competed with Eubank Jr. and a novel promotional home in Zuffa Boxing, Benn is now particularly focused on fighting for the welterweight title.

Why fighting makes sense

The commercial logic is obvious. Benn is the biggest attraction in British boxing outside the heavyweight division. Garcia is one of the most popular athletes in the world, with a social media reach that dwarfs most of his peers. A must-see title fight between these two would have a crossover feel that few welterweight bouts can match.

Benn’s mention of September and the location of the stadium suggests he sees the fight as a major UK event, possibly at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley. Garcia’s willingness to commit publicly rather than reject or ignore the call indicates at least an openness to the fight, although the distance between the enthusiastic post on X and the signed contract remains significant.

The WBC has yet to formally order a mandatory defense, but Benn’s status as the promotion’s top welterweight contender makes implementing a directive a matter of when, not if. Garcia also has options. After Barrios’ victory, he called up WBO super-lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and has a clause for an open rematch with Devin Haney, the WBO welterweight titleholder. How Garcia and his team prioritize these options over mandatory duty will determine the timeline.

What Saturday showed

Benn’s victory over Prograis wasn’t a career-defining performance, but it didn’t have to be. He controlled the tough, experienced former world champion for 10 rounds, survived a bloody stretch caused by accidental headbutts, and came back decisively in the championship rounds with body work and sustained pressure that would have tested any welterweight in the division. The score of 98-92 from all three judges indicated a player who did exactly what was expected of him without taking unnecessary risks.

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Boxing

Shakur Stevenson Analyzes Rolly Romero After Teofimo Lopezs Victory in World Title Fight

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1 hour ago

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August 23, 2026

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"Shakur Stevenson Analyzes Rolly Romero After Teofimo Lopez's Victory in World Title Fight"

Teofimo Lopez defeated Rolly Romero to win the WBA welterweight title on Saturday and now Shakur Stevenson has shared his reaction.

Lopez appeared to be in control for the majority of the bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, though the scorecards had it much closer than people expected, with ‘The Takeover’ only getting the nod by majority decision after scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112.

Romero did have a successful fifth round where he was able to rock Lopezbut other than that he failed to get any real foothold in the fight, as he lost his WBA crown and Lopez claimed world honours in a third division after previous reigns at 135lbs and 140lbs.

It was back in January when his time as WBO super-lightweight champion came to an end, suffering a one-sided unanimous decision defeat to the aforementioned Stevenson at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Stevenson has now posted on social media with his verdict on the win from ‘The Takeover’, praising his former rival for becoming world champion in his first bout at 147lbs.

“Yea Teofimo 3 division champ that’s 🔥”

Stevenson also paid tribute to Romero, saying he had ‘respect’ for the former champion for taking on anyone.

“Respect to Rolly a champion who will fight anybody Respect champ!!!”

Lopez now may look towards potential unification fights at 147lbs following his victory, with the winner of next month’s WBC title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn a possible option, along with battles against WBO champion Devin Haney or IBF champion Liam Paro.

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Boxing

Zab Judahs Final Prediction on Rolly Romero vs Teofimo Lopez: The Impact of KOing Sparring Partners

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1 day ago

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August 22, 2026

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Zab Judah's Final Prediction on Rolly Romero vs Teofimo Lopez: The Impact of KOing Sparring Partners

Zab Judah has made a bold prediction ahead of tonight’s world title battle between Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez.

Romero defends his WBA welterweight title against Lopez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this evening, competing for the first time since his unanimous decision victory over Ryan Garcia in May 2025.

Lopez is attempting to become a three-division world champion after previously holding world honours at lightweight and super-lightweight, but his reign at 140lbs came to an end in January when he lost his WBO crown to Shakur Stevenson.

One man who knows what it is like to be world champion at both 140lbs and 147lbs is Judah, who notably became undisputed at welterweight back in 2005.

Speaking to MillCity BoxingJudah revealed that he is backing Romero to claim the upset victory tonight and successfully defend his belt against Lopez.

“In the past when we’ve seen Rolly in preparation for a fight, he was always on the internet saying crazy s**t, doing crazy things, this time we don’t see any of that. He’s locked in, he’s training, and I predict that Rolly Romero is going to beat Teofimo Lopez.

“From what I’ve been hearing about him in training, he’s been doing good and knocking people out.”

The winner of tonight’s bout has already been linked to a unification fight against the victor of the upcoming WBC welterweight title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, while there are also possible match-ups with WBO champion Devin Haney or IBF champion Liam Paro.

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George Liddard vs Dario Morello Live Results and Updates: Stay Informed on the Action

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1 day ago

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August 22, 2026

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George Liddard vs Dario Morello Live Results and Updates: Stay Informed on the Action

LIVE COVERAGE

World Boxing News provides live results and updates from George Liddard’s European middleweight title clash with Dario Morello at the Copper Box Arena in London.

The undefeated Liddard faces the biggest test of his career against experienced Italian Morello, with the vacant European middleweight championship on the line.

Three other vacant titles will be decided on the card as Jimmy Sains, Emmanuel Buttigieg and Tiah Mai Ayton attempt to take the next step in their careers.

Live Scorecard –George Liddard vs. Dario Morello

Live Results

Times are local BST

19:45

Tiah Mai Ayton won the vacant Commonwealth featherweight title in a solid display against Ellie Hellewell. The Hellewell corner called off the fight after six completed rounds as Ayton made it seven straight wins as a pro and pushed towards world honors.

18:52

Connor Mitchell gets four useful rounds under his belt with a 39-37 points victory over Caine Singh.

Singh made him work for it, but the all-action Mitchell did enough to get his hand raised.

18:16

Louie Ward moved to 3-0 with a dominant performance, stopping Jon Martinez in the third round.

Ward was in control throughout before forcing the finish to secure another impressive victory.

17:42

Ioan Croft dropped Tomas Reynoso early on before seeing out a sixth round victory. The referee waved the fight off with just over a minute left of the round.

17:10

Harley Burrows opened the show with a first round stoppage of Carlos Ronner. Burrows pinned Ronner on the ropes and waded in until the referee halted the contest.

TV Coverage and Remaining Bouts

United Kingdom: DAZN

  • George Liddard vs. Dario Morello – Vacant European Middleweight Title (12)
  • Jimmy Sains vs. Tom Cowling – Vacant Commonwealth Middleweight Title (12)
  • Emmanuel Buttigieg vs. P A Gordon – Vacant English Middleweight Title (10)
Matchroom Boxing

Preview

Liddard enters his first European title fight with a perfect 14-0 record as the 24-year-old attempts to continue his rapid rise through the middleweight division.

Morello brings considerably more experience at 26-1 and arrives in London undefeated since 2019.

The event takes place at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promoting the card.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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