“Absolutely, without a doubt. He has already laid the groundwork. Everyone heard him declare, ‘This will be my final bout at 147.’ Who strives to win a title only to immediately abandon the weight class?” Garcia remarked to FightHype. “The guy is just building an alibi. He isn’t going to win the belt anyway, but my point is, who actually behaves like that? It is completely illogical unless you are preparing a fallback justification. There was no reason for him to bring that up.”
Ryan rejected any parallels between the weight loss Benn is undergoing and the limits imposed on him for his April 2023 bout with Gervonta Davis. For that match, Davis mandated that Ryan stay under 146 pounds during a second-day morning weigh-in, following an initial 136-pound limit.
In contrast to Garcia’s past situation, Benn is not bound by any rehydration restrictions. After successfully hitting the 147-pound mark, he is free to refuel his body without any interference or limits set by his opponent on his fight-night weight.
From Garcia’s perspective, his struggles against Davis stemmed from the restriction on proper rehydration rather than the weight cut itself. While acknowledging that every boxer has to hit their target weight, he pointed out that Benn will enjoy the chance to fully recover before the fight—a luxury Garcia was barred from having.
There is a degree of irony in this stance. During his 2024 matchup with Devin Haney, Garcia missed the 140-pound championship limit by over three pounds, opting to pay a fine rather than push his body to shed the last bit of weight. Yet, he now demands that Benn hit the welterweight mark without constantly complaining about the difficulty of the process.
This kind of rhetoric could also function as a psychological pitfall. By framing the 147-pound limit as an exhausting obstacle, Benn might turn the weight cut into an active adversary before he even steps into the ring with Garcia. Should Benn face early adversity during the fight, he has already established a convenient narrative for why his physical performance is lacking.
A harsh weight cut is also likely to dictate his ring strategy. Worries regarding his endurance and ability to take a punch could push Benn to seek an early knockout. However, aggressively attacking Garcia from the opening bell would make him highly vulnerable to Garcia’s signature and lethal counter left hook.
This narrative creates a different challenge for Garcia as well. Even if he secures a dominant win, the achievement might be minimized if Benn spends the entire buildup highlighting his struggles to make the welterweight limit. Detractors will likely argue that Garcia merely overcame an exhausted foe, denying him proper recognition for defeating a credible opponent.
Benn agreed to the championship bout fully aware of the weight obligations. Should the weight cut prove too damaging to his performance, Garcia will argue that the fault lies with Benn’s choice rather than any unfair contract terms. Nevertheless, the pre-made excuse seems firmly in place, likely overshadowing the outcome for both competitors regardless of who wins.
