Conor Benn came up short when challenging for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday and former undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor has now given his opinion on whether ‘The Destroyer’ can ever capture world honours.

Ryan Garcia made a first successful defence of the WBC title as he ran through Benn in just two rounds in Las Vegasflooring the Briton with a prodigious right-hand and then stopping him on his feet.

Whilst Garcia now looks set for unifications after defeating his WBC mandatory challenger, fans are questioning where Benn can go from here and if he should remain at world level or drop down and attempt to get his hands on the British title.

In an interview with Seconds OutTaylor admitted that the outcome of Benn’s world title bid was what he expected it to be, stating his belief that Benn is a domestic-level fighter.

“It was something that I kind of expected, really. I have said it for long enough and I have said it numerous times, I don’t think that Conor Benn is anywhere near world level.

“I know that I sound like I am being critical of him, but I am just saying what I think. I do think that he is domestic/European level at best.

“He is getting these fights and these opportunities because of the pull that he has got. He has got this commercial pull and he is getting opportunities off the back of that.”

‘The Tartan Tornado’ then went on to declare that he does not envisage Benn ever getting his hands on a world title, despite his fellow Briton being just 29 years old.

“I don’t think that he is any better than that [British/European level]I don’t think that he will win a world championship, but he has got massive appeal.”

Benn is set to move back up in weight following his first stoppage loss, with a big leap up to either middleweight or super-middleweight expected to be confirmed soon and possibly even a trilogy showdown with Chris Eubank Jr.

Canelo Alvarez is set to challenge for the WBC super-middleweight world title next month in an attempt to regain the 168lb throne. Should he be successful, a ‘firefight’ could be waiting for him.

Terence Crawford brought an end to Canelo’s reign as the undisputed super-middleweight world champion 12 months ago, but ‘Bud’ retired shortly after the win and the belts were subsequently reassigned, whilst Canelo was sidelined through injury.

On Halloween, Canelo seeks to dethrone one of those new champions as he collides with WBC titleholder Christian Mbilli, atop a mammoth ‘Mexico vs. The World’ bill in Riyadh, which already features three world title bouts.

On the Mr Versace Podcastreigning WBO super-middleweight world champion Hamzah Sheeraz shared his keenness for a unification clash against the Mexican superstar, if he is able to get the better of Mbilli.

“Absolutely, [I want Canelo if he beats Mbilli]. Listen, I have got to keep doing my thing, keep winning, keep putting on big performances, moving forwards and he has got to do the same.

“He is a legend of the sport. If the fight happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I will continue to be the best version of myself that I could be, but yeah it would be an absolute honour to share the ring with him.

“I think that it would be a firefight, for sure.”

Canelo-Mbilli is set for October 31. Sheeraz has been ordered to take on his mandatory challenger Janibek Alimkhanuly next in order to avoid being stripped of his world title, with a purse bid hearing scheduled for this Wednesday, September 16.

Crawford sat ringside in Las Vegas, backed Benn to score the upset, watched Ryan destroy Benn in two rounds, and immediately had to backtrack. If Crawford was truly content in retirement, he would have congratulated him once or simply ignored the Ariel Helwani interview. Instead, his fingers are glued to X, trying to trade insults.

Crawford knows how the modern business works. He saw the check he got for Canelo, and he knows Turki Alalshikh has the checkbook to make another life-changing offer if the public demands it. Without Canelo or Ryan, Crawford has no viable nine-figure options left. Nobody is going to bankroll a Crawford return against Richardson, Hitchins, or Shakur Stevenson. Ryan is the golden goose right now.

By continuously pushing Ryan’s buttons and keeping it going, Crawford is keeping himself in the headlines and angling for Turki to step in with an ungodly sum to make the fight happen. He wants to pretend Ryan is beneath him, but every tweet proves he is waiting by the phone.

The strategy is obvious. Crawford knows Turki monitors social media traffic closely and loves putting together fights with massive name recognition. If Crawford can bait Ryan into demanding the fight publicly, Turki might cut the check just to deliver a blockbuster pay-per-view spectacle.

The problem for Crawford is that Ryan holds all the cards. Ryan does not need Crawford to sell out an arena or generate massive pay-per-view numbers. He could fight Haney again, face Teofimo, or even go after Gervonta Davis. Crawford, on the other hand, has zero alternative options that pay this kind of money. If Turki decides he would rather see Ryan against someone active, Crawford’s social media campaign falls completely flat, leaving him retired on the couch with empty pockets.