Skip to main content
Boxing

Teddy Atlas Believes One 'Big Question' Looms for Ryan Garcia Ahead of Conor Benn Fight

Legendary trainer Teddy Atlas discusses what could hold Ryan Garcia back.
Terrance Biggs|
Ryan Garcia
Ryan Garcia | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Conor Benn enters his September 12 bout as a decided underdog against Ryan Garcia.

With the WBC welterweight title at stake, the British boxer must deliver an exceptional performance to win his first title in his debut match as a Zuffa fighter. Meanwhile, the bar for Garcia is a little lower.

Garcia, as both the favorite and the champion, has the luxury of the champion's prerogative, meaning Benn must beat him convincingly. In other words, Garcia can win a close fight, while Benn can leave no doubt about a victory.

However, one of the biggest keys to Garcia's success has nothing to do with Benn at all. Legendary trainer Teddy Atlas believes that the WBC champ first needs to fight an unseen opponent.

Boxing icon Teddy Atlas.
Boxing icon Teddy Atlas. | IMAGO / Christian Schroedter

Trainer Teddy Atlas' resume includes a list of notable figures in boxing royalty. Originally known for helping train a trio of Hall of Famers: Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, and Barry McGuigan, to name a few. In his later years, Atlas exchanged the spit bucket for the microphone as a fight analyst. As a result, his expertise in and around the game means he can offer an informed viewpoint.

A mental game for Garcia

Garcia, for all his skills (his left hook and counterpunching ability), has, according to Atlas, had his biggest enemy be his inability to control his emotions.

“Garcia has always been influenced, maybe more than most fighters, on a mental and emotional basis. He is very talented, but unless he is mentally and emotionally right, that talent doesn’t really amount to anything special," Atlas told CanadaCasino via BoxingScene.

Basically, Garcia struggles to stay out of a negative headspace. If he gets too far away from a practical approach, he will lose the fight in Atlas's estimation. While emotions like passion can elevate a fighter during a fight, Atlas sees that Garcia cannot get rattled. Yet, he does praise the California fighter for keeping a lid on his feelings.

“It doesn’t get used in a way where it shows itself to mean something. Garcia is probably in a better place now mentally than he had been for a while, but does he stay in that place? That’s the big question with Garcia. He is very mercurial when it comes to his emotions. They are constantly shifting."

In the press conference ahead of their fight, which will air on Paramount+ in the US, Garcia appeared out of sorts. However, press conferences remain vehicles for selling the fight and generating interest.

How much of his aggression was merely for show and how much was actually his true feelings? On paper, Benn may be the underdog, but Garcia is the one who will need to fight more than one opponent on September 12.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Terrance is a boxing writer for KO on SI. He's enjoyed over a decade of writing experience, writing for Full Press Coverage, Pro Football Sports Network and Heavy.com, covering both professional and collegiate sports. He is s a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Terrance also votes on postseason awards like the Biletnikoff, Groza, and Thorpe Awards. Biggs earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from Fort Hays State University. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his children and his fiancée, along with playing softball.