Chris Eubank Jr was quick to aim a dig at rival Conor Benn after a crushing second round stoppage defeat to Ryan Garcia on Saturday night.
Benn was a distant underdog in Las Vegas as he attempted to claim the WBC welterweight title from Garcia and the fight played out as many expected.
The Englishman was floored in the second round by a right hand and, although he bravely fought on, the referee stepped in before the bell to end his punishment.
It is only the second defeat of Benn’s career, with the first coming against Eubank Jr in April last year in a memorable 12 round scrap in London.
Benn exacted revenge on Eubank Jr in November, winning a unanimous decision as the bigger man struggled with fighting at the 160lb limit.
For the world title shot against Garcia, Benn cut down to 146lbs to make the welterweight limit and Eubank was quick to remind him how he felt in their bouts.
‘Welcome to the ’fighting after cutting too much weight’ club… Enjoy,’ Eubank Jr wrote on X.
Garcia moves to 26-2 and picked up his first stoppage win since 2023 as he kept hold of the belt he won in February this year.
‘I knew he would bring the pressure, I felt the shots and thought “I’ll let him have his way”, but I knew his was reckless and you can’t do that with me,’ the 28-year-old told DAZN.
‘147lb is my division. I’m here, you can trust me as a champion.’
On the stoppage he said: ‘They could have stopped it when he was on the ground. He was out of it.
‘I looked at him in the eyes and he wasn’t even there. If it would’ve kept going, you would’ve seen a man unconscious on the floor. It’s the ref’s job to stop the fight when it needs to be done, to protect the fighter.’
Benn posted a brief reaction to his defeat on X, writing: ‘Not my night, no excuses. @RyanGarcia you’re a great champion.’
Garcia added after the dominant win: ‘I feel at peace.
‘I’ve always had a right hand, but I always had injuries. It is the first two fights I’ve not had injuries on my hands.
‘I want to thank Conor for a great build-up and a great match, I respect him.’
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