Garcia backs up talk, TKO's Benn in second round to retain WBC title

LAS VEGAS -- Ryan Garcia promised he would need five rounds or less to knock out Conor Benn. He ended up needing just two.

Garcia (26-0, 21 KOs) recorded his fastest knockout in six years, finishing Benn (25-2, 14 KOs) at 1:25 of the second round Saturday night inside T-Mobile Arena. Referee Thomas Taylor ruled the WBC welterweight championship fight a TKO victory for Garcia after Benn was left virtually defenseless by shots along the ropes.

The win was Garcia's fastest since he scored a first-round knockout of Francisco Fonseca in February 2020.

Garcia, 28, defended the WBC title he captured against Mario Barrios in February for the first time and immediately called for unification bouts against WBA champion Teofimo Lopez and WBO champion Devin Haney.

"Teofimo, get that ass up here," Garcia told Lopez, who was in attendance. "We've got to clear this [division] out. I'll beat Devin Haney's ass again."