Conor Benn says his phone won’t ring for Ryan Garcia unless at least $15 million is on the line. Speaking to Fight Hub TV, the 28-year-old Brit dismissed any sporting motivation in a Garcia matchup, citing the Californian’s “battered” loss to Rolando “Rolly” Romero in May. “I’d fight anyone,” Benn said, “but there’s no motivation apart from money in that fight.”
Fresh off a punishing decision defeat to Chris Eubank Jr. - a bout fought two divisions north of his natural weight - Benn is now targeting hardware at 147 lbs. Top of his wish-list is the July 19 WBC title clash between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios. Victory over the winner, Benn believes, could set up a unification with Romero’s WBA belt, creating a welterweight blockbuster that sidesteps Garcia entirely.
Critics point out Benn’s résumé, headlined by stoppages of ageing Chris Algieri and Chris Van Heerden, hardly justifies a pay-per-view price tag, let alone a $15 million purse demand. Nor did Benn mention WBO champion Brian Norman Jr., regarded by many as the division’s most dangerous puncher.
For now, the second-generation welterweight is content to dream big and spend the Eubank rematch build-up talking bigger. Whether promoters share his valuation - or Garcia rediscovers the form that stunned Devin Haney in 2024 - remains to be seen.
Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing