Conor Benn to take stock before deciding what comes next

Conor Benn is to take a break from boxing and ponder what comes next following his two-round defeat to Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The much-hyped bout had barely begun when Benn all but walked straight into a ripping right hand from the WBC welterweight champion in the second round. Benn, 25-2 (14 KOs), hit the deck heavily before beating the count only to then be rescued during Garcia’s follow-up attack.

For Benn, who as recently as last November saw his stock soar when he outpointed a visibly drained Chris Eubank Jnr up at middleweight, it would have been a sobering reverse in his first appearance at 147lbs since April 2022.

Regardless, he’s had an incredible year financially.

It began with a surprising switch from Matchroom to Zuffa and a reported $15m fee to outpoint Regis Prograis in London in April. Reports also suggest he earned a similar amount for the shot at Garcia.

Plenty presume Benn will now look to earn big again – and only a third fight with Eubank could command anything like what’s gotten used to at the next juncture – but the 29-year-old is for now only committing to spending time with his family.

“Everybody keeps asking ‘What’s next for Conor Benn?’” read a lengthy post on his social media channels on Monday.

“The truth is, I don’t have the answer.

“If you’d asked the 19 year old version of me whether I thought I’d be standing here ten 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% 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.

“But giving everything comes at a cost.

“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.

“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.”