Conor Benn brands Ryan Garcia a ‘bottler’ after no-show at face-off
Conor Benn has branded Ryan Garcia a “bottler” after the WBC welterweight champion was nowhere to be seen at their scheduled face-off in Las Vegas on Tuesday evening, reports BritPanorama.
The pair were due to come together for a promotional media event at the Mandalay Bay Hotel; however, Garcia simply did not turn up. In the absence of his opponent, Benn was visibly frustrated and left to handle proceedings alone.
In footage shared by Zuffa Boxing, the 29-year-old Briton expressed his disappointment, stating, “I apologise for Ryan doing what Ryan does and bottling it. We turn up, we’re here, ready for the face-off.”
Garcia’s no-show comes just four days before the two are set to meet inside the T-Mobile Arena for Garcia’s first defence of his WBC welterweight belt. Benn’s father, Nigel, stepped into the breach, lightheartedly quipping: “I’m not Ryan, I turn up!”
While the moment provided some levity, it was hardly the confrontation that fight week organisers had envisaged. Conor then issued a blunt warning to the absent champion: “He needs to get his s*** together because come Saturday, he’s in for a real, real shock.” The challenger conveyed that the anticipation has reached a boiling point, asserting, “Saturday can’t come soon enough.”
Garcia’s decision to skip the event fits a pattern of unpredictability, yet disappearing at this stage of fight week inevitably raises questions about his professionalism. Physical appearance also became a topic of conversation, as Benn stood on a balcony above the Las Vegas Strip, looking strikingly gaunt with hollow cheeks and dark shadows beneath his eyes. This appearance may attract scrutiny at Friday’s weigh-in.
Garcia’s own history with the scales provides little reassurance; he weighed in 3.2 pounds over the contracted weight for his 2024 bout with Devin Haney, despite fighting regardless. For Benn, returning to welterweight after competing at middleweight poses its own challenges, particularly balancing a punishing weight reduction.
Benn arrives in Las Vegas with momentum, riding a two-fight winning streak. He avenged his sole defeat by overcoming Chris Eubank Jr in November 2025 and later outpointed Regis Prograis to enhance his record to 25-1.
Garcia, 28, presents a significant challenge. He claimed his WBC strap with a commanding unanimous decision over Mario Barrios earlier this year. For Benn, this will mark the first world title challenge of his career, an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his father, who captured the WBO middleweight crown in 1990.
Far from feeling daunted, Benn embraces the role of underdog, stating, “I like being the underdog. I think I perform at my best.” He is keenly aware that every fight has led him to this moment, encapsulating the journey through the “noise and the drama.” As the fight approaches, the anticipation grows; it’s a reminder that the theatre of boxing often thrives on unpredictability and the very human drama that unfolds both inside and outside the ring.
