Make FightsATW Your Preferred Combat Sports Source
Enjoy our boxing and wrestling coverage? Add Fights Around The World as a Preferred Source on Google so our latest stories can show up more often in your Top Stories.
Add FightsATW on GoogleRyan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) will soon have the first defence of his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn (25-1, 14 KOs). Calling him confident ahead of fight night would be an understatement.
Talking to Adam Catterall and Gareth A Davies in Las Vegas, he opened up about those “bumps and bruises” that molded his current mindset and work ethic.
“I’ve had big fights since I was fighting Luke Campbell at 21, and I started off early fighting big fights because people put the pressure on me. And I took a couple bumps and bruises along the way, but that built my character and matured me as the fighter that I am today, and I just take all that experience that I learned from the Tank fight, from the Devin Haney fight, from all these fights before I was a champion,” he said, reminiscing about the lessons that he learned along the way. “And now that I am it, I know what to do, what not to do, and how to stay in tune.”
Garcia has spent his camp preparing for Benn with one thing in mind, making sure his speed and timing are there when the bell rings. He has worked on his movement, counter-punching, and conditioning, knowing Benn is likely to bring plenty of pressure and try to make the fight physical. Garcia’s confidence, though, seems to come from more than just his preparation.
Garcia believes he has already been through the kind of big fights that Benn has yet to experience, having shared the ring with names such as Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Mario Barrios. Garcia feels that experience, along with his hand speed and natural ability, gives him the edge. He knows Benn will come to fight, but he believes that once the two are in the ring, the difference in experience and speed will become obvious.
“Come get this work. Come bring the fight. We never really run so you already know what kind of fight this is going to be. But, again, the experience, the speed, the timing is going to be too much for him. It’s going to overwhelm him and we’re going to get him out of there,” he said.
“A Bit Disappointed”
Meanwhile, Benn had mentioned it would be his final fight at 147. Garcia, who was not very happy to hear that, quickly called him out without mincing words.
“I’m a bit disappointed in him. I think that you could save those comments until after the fight. You’re kind of robbing the fans of an experience; you’re kind of telling them, ‘I’m going to be weak, I’m probably going to get my ass whooped, and then I’m leaving to where I’m going to be stronger.’ People can read between the lines,” he said.
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
