Carl Froch has issued a damning verdict on Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn, believing the potential showdown would not be remotely competitive.
Garcia claimed his WBC world welterweight crown last Saturday, scoring a first-round knockdown before unanimously outpointing and dethroning Mario Barrios.
Many had questioned whether the 27-year-old deserved this opportunity, especially after losing so decisively to Rolando Romero, the now-WBA champion, in May.
Even before that, Garcia’s majority decision victory over Devin Haney had been overturned to a no-contest due to him testing positive for banned substance ostarine.
But despite being handed a year-long ban, and then suffering a points defeat to Romero, the American was nonetheless presented with a world title shot.
As it turned out, their welterweight affair was largely one-sided, with Barrios relieved of his WBC strap after having his technical limitations starkly exposed.
Benn, meanwhile, has been placed at No.1 in the WBC welterweight rankings since the end of last year, following his unanimous decision victory over Chris Eubank Jr.
It is worth noting, however, that ‘The Destroyer’ has not campaigned at 147lbs since 2022, with his last two outings being agreed at 160lbs.
But despite this, it is likely that Garcia will be ordered to defend his belt against Benn before long, even though he called out WBO super-lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson immediately after defeating Barrios.
While speaking with The Sun Sport, though, Hall of Famer Froch suggested that their possible clash is hardly worth paying attention to.
“I think Conor Benn gets absolutely splattered. I’ve got to be honest, I don’t think he’s got a chance.
“He’s not there yet, and I’ve said it before. Who’s he beat? What’s he done? Who’s his biggest win?
“You can’t say [Eubank is] a big win. This guy [George Groves] finished Eubank years ago.
“What’s Eubank done to warrant Conor Benn saying: ‘I’m ready for world titles’? I just think Ryan Garcia runs rings around him.”
With Benn having signed a promotional deal with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, it remains to be seen how the WBC mandatory situation will play out, however the fighter himself has made it clear he is still targeting the fight this year.