Ryan Garcia officially announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he will defend his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn on September 12, 2026, in Las Vegas.
The announcement has reignited the debate over Ryan Garcia's standing in the sport, with Stephen A. Smith offering a ringing endorsement on First Take. Addressing the skepticism surrounding the matchup, Smith declared, "When I think about Ryan Garcia, I think about a cat that I believe is box office. When he's on his game, he's must-watch, no question about it."
Despite Stephen A. Smith's confidence, the boxing community remains split on whether Garcia is prioritizing the right challengers. While Smith is happy to entertain the Conor Benn fight, he simultaneously pushed back against the division's current landscape, noting that "I'm getting sick and tired of people talking about themselves at the welterweight division without mentioning the name Boots Ennis." As the September date approaches, the focus will shift to whether Garcia can back up his social media bravado with a definitive performance in the ring.
