Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia Should Be One of the Easiest Fights to Make
Conor Benn versus Ryan Garcia feels like one of those fights that should almost make itself.
The fighters want it.
The fans want it.
The broadcasters would happily take it.
There is plenty of money to be made.
Yet once again, boxing politics appears to be threatening progress.
Recent comments from Oscar De La Hoya and the ongoing tensions involving Golden Boy and Zuffa Boxing have raised fresh questions about whether the fight will actually happen.
And if that sounds familiar, it should.
Because boxing politics has spent decades turning straightforward situations into complicated ones.
When Boxing Politics Become the Main Event
Sometimes it feels as though boxing politics receives more attention than the fighters themselves.
Promoters disagree.
Networks protect their interests.
Broadcasters compete with one another.
Lawyers get involved.
Suddenly, a fight that seemed inevitable becomes another lengthy saga.
We’ve seen it before.
Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury became years of negotiations.
Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao took far longer than many fans wanted.
And now Conor Benn versus Ryan Garcia seems to be heading down a similar road.
Ironically, the fight itself feels relatively simple compared to everything happening around it.
As discussed previously in our article about the latest developments surrounding the negotiations, the problems facing Benn and Garcia appear to involve business interests rather than the fighters themselves.
Fans Often Blame The Wrong People
One of the unfortunate consequences of boxing politics is that fans sometimes blame the boxers.
Of course, fighters do occasionally avoid dangerous opponents.
But very often the biggest obstacles come elsewhere.
Contracts.
Promoters.
Television rights.
Competing organisations.
Different visions for the future.
In the case of Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia, neither man seems to be lacking enthusiasm for the fight.
Instead, boxing politics appears to be creating obstacles around them.
That is something fans have become far too used to.
Boxing Keeps Making Life Difficult For Itself
The frustrating thing is that boxing has shown repeatedly that cooperation is possible.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk got made.
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn eventually happened.
Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez found a way.
Whenever enough people are determined to make something happen, boxing politics suddenly becomes less of an issue.
Which raises an obvious question.
Why does the sport insist on creating these problems in the first place?
Other sports don’t seem to spend years arguing over whether their biggest attractions can meet.
Yet boxing continues to accept chaos as part of normal life.
Is Boxing Its Own Worst Enemy?
The sport has survived countless challenges over the years.
Competition from MMA.
Changing viewing habits.
The rise of streaming.
Celebrity boxing.
But perhaps boxing politics remains the biggest challenge of all.
Not because fans don’t care.
Not because the fighters aren’t willing.
But because the sport itself keeps putting barriers in the way.
When supporters complain that the biggest fights never happen, perhaps they shouldn’t always point the finger at the boxers.
Sometimes boxing’s biggest enemy isn’t another organisation.
Sometimes boxing’s biggest enemy is boxing itself.
Over To You
Do you think boxing politics remains the sport’s biggest weakness?
Will Conor Benn versus Ryan Garcia eventually happen, or will business interests get in the way again?
Let us know in the comments, share this article with fellow boxing fans and visit CMBoxing for more opinion, analysis and debate from around the sport.