Conor Benn is left contemplating his next options after suffering a heavy stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.
Benn was attempting to follow in his famous father Nigel’s footsteps and become a world champion when he challenged Garcia for the WBC belt at the T-Mobile Arena.
But Garcia, a top-class fighter, handed Benn a crushing loss when he dropped and stopped him in their second round.
The Briton must now rebuild.
“Everybody keeps asking: ‘What’s next for Conor Benn?'” he stated on social media. “The truth is, I don’t have the answer.
Conor Benn with Ryan Garcia after their contest in Las Vegas (Photos: Zuffa Boxing)
“If you’d asked the 19-year-old version of me whether I thought I’d be standing here 10 years later, having lived through everything I have, I’d have told you that you were crazy.
“I train hard. I sacrifice. I’ve given this game 110 per cent every time I’ve stepped through those ropes, I’ve wanted to give people unforgettable nights and entertain.
“That’s what this has always been about for me.
“People spend their hard-earned money to come and watch guys like us fight. I’ve never taken that for granted. I’ve always wanted to be a servant of the public and give everything I have when it matters.”
The signs are that he will rest, recover and take some time out before considering how to return.
“Giving everything comes at a cost,” he continued. “And the people who have paid that cost more than anyone are my family and my kids.
“They’ve sacrificed time with their dad so I could chase this dream. They’ve had to share me with this sport their entire lives.
“So when people ask me what’s next for Conor Benn, right now the answer is simple.
“Time with my kids.”
He added: “Fight fans, thank you. Those who travelled to Vegas, those who stayed up until the early hours. I will never take your support for granted, especially on those nights things don’t go to plan.”
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Highlights from the rematch between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Pictures courtesy of DAZN.
What could be next for Benn?
Benn is only 29 years old, so while he might take some time out of boxing, he can be expected to return to the sport.
The bout with Garcia was his first fight at welterweight in over four years. After two middleweight bouts with Chris Eubank Jr, the drop back to 147lbs was severe.
All the indications are that Benn will seek to go back up in weight. He could bypass 154lbs altogether and bounce back to middleweight.
There are title belt holders at 160lbs who have championships but relatively low profiles. Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion, and Denzel Bentley, now the WBO titleholder, for instance would surely welcome a fight with Benn if he could get ranked.
Perhaps he could move even higher in weight, even though he’d be small at middleweight let alone super-middle. But having a trilogy bout with Eubank Jr at 168lbs could make sense. It would save Eubank the punishing weight cut he had at middleweight with a rehydration clause and the two are 1-1 in their series.
For Benn, his Las Vegas adventure ended in a crushing defeat to Garcia, but there will be options for him as and when he chooses to return.
Watch Johnny Fisher vs Michael Pirotton live on Sky Sports on September 26.