Ryan Garcia‘s victory over Conor Benn was supposed to be a major statement for both the fighter and Zuffa Boxing.
Instead, the aftermath has quickly become dominated by another storyline, with Jake Paul publicly criticizing Garciaover his decision to continue pursuing a potential fight with Terence Crawford.
Garcia stopped Benn in the second round at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12, retaining his WBC welterweight title in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,855.
Zuffa Boxing reported a live gate of more than $8 million for the event, while Paramount+ carried the card as part of its global streaming partnership with Zuffa Boxing.
But Garcia did not spend long celebrating. His ongoing verbal battle with Crawford intensified after the former undisputed champion responded to Garcia’s repeated challenges.
Paul then entered the conversation with a now-deleted social-media post aimed directly at Garcia.
“Brother, you need to stop the bulls**it,” read the post from Paul. “Crawford would take you down in two seconds and beat your a** in the streets. And so would I.”
Paul then made the financial accusation that has generated the most attention: “You just lost Paramount $10’s of millions. Only thing your the face of is that white power.”
The figure cited by Paul has not been independently established in the available public reporting, so his claim should be understood as an accusation rather than a confirmed measure of Paramount’s financial loss.
Why Garcia’s Crawford feud has become a business issue
The dispute between Garcia and Crawford did not suddenly appear after the Benn fight. Garcia had been questioning Crawford’s career choices for months, particularly his decision to step away from professional boxing rather than continue taking on younger elite opponents.
Crawford, meanwhile, has repeatedly pushed back at Garcia’s challenges. After Garcia defeated Benn, the argument became even more personal.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Garcia said, “He’s (Crawford) jealous of me. He knows that. He can’t deny that fact in him. He’s like, Damn, I don’t really like this f***er. Cool. Jealousy, motherf***er. I’ll beat the f*** out you. I’ll beat the jealous out of you.”
Crawford subsequently mocked Garcia for challenging him after his retirement and suggested Garcia should focus on active fighters. Garcia responded, “Okay, so let’s square up, bro, on or off the ring. I’m ready to handle this.”
That exchange is particularly relevant because Garcia’s relationship with Paul has also deteriorated over time.
Paul and Garcia were once on friendly terms, but their relationship has become considerably more complicated. Paul also previously targeted Garcia as a potential opponent after a planned exhibition against Gervonta “Tank” Davis failed to materialize.
Garcia ultimately rejected an offer that was widely reported to have been worth around $20 million. Explaining his decision to Shannon Sharpe, Garcia said:
“I was offered Mario for a world title, and I said to myself, ‘If I’m always chasing money, I’m a real boxer, you know, and I have a world title on the line,’” Garcia told Shannon Sharpe. “And I just knew you chase money; nothing good comes out of it, right? I’ve done it before.”
“I’ve made this mistake before. Don’t chase the money…And then this little carrot came wiggling at me. I was like, nah, that doesn’t seem right. It’s temptation. I’m going to stick to what I know. And ultimately, I’m getting, you know, well, getting paid a lot of money for this fight. So, it’s like it worked out for me.”
That history gives Paul’s criticism a personal dimension, but there is also an obvious promotional backdrop.
Conor Benn‘s move to Zuffa Boxing was one of the promotion’s biggest early statements. The Ring reported that Benn initially signed a one-fight agreement reportedly worth $15 million before agreeing to a five-fight extension through 2028.
Garcia’s destruction of Benn therefore represented more than simply another win on his record. It was also the outcome of a heavily promoted event built around Zuffa’s expanding presence in boxing and Paramount+’s investment in the sport.
Paramount officially described Garcia-Benn as a first-of-its-kind global Paramount+ event when the fight was announced, with the card available to subscribers at no additional cost in most markets.
Paul’s argument appears to be that Garcia’s continuing focus on Crawford could complicate the commercial possibilities that might otherwise surround Garcia’s next fight. Whether that actually cost Paramount tens of millions, however, remains unproven.
There is another part of Garcia’s history that continues to follow him. In 2024, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended him for one year after positive tests for the banned substance ostarine.
His victory over Devin Haney was subsequently changed to a no-contest, while Garcia forfeited his disclosed purse and received a $10,000 fine.
Garcia has since rebuilt his career and now holds the WBC welterweight championship after defeating Mario Barrios and successfully defending it against Benn. His latest victory was emphatic, with the referee stopping the contest 1:25 into the second round.
For now, Crawford does not appear interested in reversing his retirement for Garcia. After their latest exchange, Crawford told Garcia to focus on active names including Devin Haney, Keyshawn Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Richardson Hitchins and Teofimo Lopez.
Garcia, meanwhile, has plenty of options of his own. He has spoken about pursuing Teofimo Lopez and other major names, meaning the Crawford rivalry may remain a social-media story rather than becoming an immediate fight.
Paul’s intervention has added another layer to the situation. What began as a fighter calling out a retired rival has now become a wider argument involving promoters, broadcasters, money and the commercial future of one of boxing’s most marketable champions.
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