Conor Benn turned up the heat on Ryan Garcia at the opening press conference for their September 12 WBC welterweight title fight, dismissing his opponent as "an influencer" rather than a true fighter. The remark set an aggressive tone early in the promotion for the welterweight clash.
According to the event summary, Benn repeatedly mocked Garcia during Saturday’s kickoff media appearance. The exchange highlighted how personal the buildup could become as both fighters begin selling one of the division’s most talked-about matchups.
Benn’s comments appeared aimed at questioning Garcia’s identity in the sport, framing him as a social media-driven figure instead of a boxer first. In high-profile boxing events, those kinds of verbal attacks are often part of the strategy to apply pressure before fight night and shape the public narrative around the bout.
With the WBC welterweight title on the line, the focus will now shift from the press conference stage to training camp and the long run-up to September 12. Still, Benn’s early shots at Garcia have already added another layer of tension to a fight that is expected to draw major attention.
