CARL FROCH says Conor Benn needs a ‘MIRACLE’ to dethrone Ryan Garcia of the WBC world title.
Benn, 29, drops back down to welterweight for the first time in over FOUR YEARS to challenge for Garcia’s title on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Carl Froch says Conor Benn needs a ‘miracle’ to beat Ryan Garcia Credit: sunsport
Benn challenges for Garcia’s WBC title Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
He is coming off two middleweight mega-fights against Chris Eubank Jr last year – losing the initial thriller but avenging the result in the November rematch.
And Benn returned in an underwhelming points win over 37-year-old Regis Prograis in April.
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Garcia, 28, meanwhile is a veteran of over 200 amatuer bouts who has shared the ring with American stars in Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Rolly Romero.
So Froch – Britain’s former super-middleweight world champ – fears Benn has bitten off more than he can chew in Sin City.
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He told JattvibeSport: “Ryan Garcia don’t always turn up on point. He don’t always look the best. He’s now world champ, WBC, beat Mario Barrios for that.
“And he’s had a couple of good performances against top-level world-beaters.
“He’s not won them all, but he’s been in there at the elite level and he is now world champion.
“And then you look at Conor Benn’s record and resume, and he’s not won an area level title, not won a British title. His best win’s probably Chris Algieri.
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Garcia vs Benn – all the info
Ryan Garcia will make the first defence of his WBC welterweight title against British superstar Conor Benn THIS Saturday.
The blockbuster Las Vegas event is under the arm of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing promotion.
Garcia, 28, captured his first world title in February by securing a dominant unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios.
Benn, 29, is challenging for a world title for the first time in his professional career.
His sole professional defeat came against domestic rival Chris Eubank Jr in April 2025, a loss he quickly avenged with a dominant unanimous decision victory in their November 2025 rematch.
Benn enters the biggest bout of his life following a decisive points win over former world champion Regis Prograis in April, which marked his debut under Zuffa Boxing.
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“He’s had a humdinger with Chris Eubank, but he got beat by Chris Eubank, who lost at world level. So he’s found his level, but he was up at a bigger weight.
“Now he’s down at 147 against a puncher who is very fast, very skillful and talented.
“I wouldn’t say that Ryan Garcia is the upper echelon of the elite level professional boxer, but he’s still a world champ.
“He’s a very good fighter, fantastic, got loads of experience. I just think that that’s going to be far too much for somebody at Conor’s level.
“But don’t write off Conor’s self-belief, and discipline, and work ethic. I know his trainer Tony Sims will be pushing him and driving him.
“So if Conor can pull this off and believe in himself and go in there and stick it on Ryan Garcia, and catch him, and somehow win the fight, then he’s pulled off – for me – nothing short of a miracle.
“I mean, I can’t see him winning this fight.”
Benn has already been open that he faces a fight to first even make the 147lb limit for the first time in nearly half a decade.
And pictures from his training camp in the build-up to the Garcia bout appear to show Benn already looking gaunt.
Froch claimed the son of Brit boxing great Nigel looks like “Gollum” – the hobbit creature from the Lord of the Ring – as he doubts Benn’s chances.
He said: “The general consensus for this fight, and again, I’m not just saying this to say it, but everyone I speak to, and people who know boxing, people who don’t know boxing, they’re calling this a mismatch.
“They’re saying this is a mismatch. This is a fight that Conor cannot win.
“Now, I don’t believe that, because it’s a two-horse race, anything can happen. But that’s how wide it is.
“When you look at what Ryan Garcia’s done at 147, he’s world champ. Conor’s drained himself down now to a weight he’s not been at for years.
“It’s dangerous. And he looked like s*** against Prograis, he didn’t look good. He just didn’t.
“And it was a 10-rounder against a guy who didn’t want to be in there, and it still went 10 rounds.
“So, taking all that into account, the smart money’s on Ryan Garcia. But Conor can go in there and rip the script up, and I hope he does.”
