Coming from Benn’s longtime promoter, that statement hits hard. Hearn knows what Conor does well, but he also recognizes the pure lethal threat of Ryan Garcia’s lead hook whenever Garcia shows up focused.

Everything hinges on Garcia’s mental state. Ryan appeared sluggish, unfocused, and reluctant to let his hands go during the loss to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero. Standing around throwing one punch at a time will get him swarmed against a live dog.

A fully locked-in Ryan presents a totally different puzzle. Benn charges forward with wide, reckless shots that open him up completely. That careless aggression invites Garcia to plant his feet and unleash the lightning-fast left hand that floored Devin Haney multiple times.

Benn cannot simply follow Garcia around the ring hunting for a highlight reel knockout. He has to get right in Ryan’s chest, hammer the ribs, and prevent him from finding punching room. Lunging in from distance will only lead to Benn walking into vicious counter shots.

Hearn stopped short of calling an outright winner. The warning is simply that Benn faces a long, painful night if the lethal version of Garcia steps through the ropes. Everything comes down to which Ryan decides to show up.