James Toney has watched Ryan Garcia train and expects a stoppage inside five rounds.
The three-division former champion gave his prediction to FightHype while at Garcia’s camp ahead of the September 12 defense against Conor Benn.
Definitely he is looking vicious. He is going to win inside five rounds.
It would be a departure from Garcia’s recent form. He has gone the distance in each of his last three fights, including the no contest against Devin Haney, and has not won inside the distance since 2023. He took the WBC welterweight title from Mario Barrios in February on a wide decision.
The prediction also runs directly against another well-known trainer. Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, who trained Terence Crawford, said on The Last Stand Podcast that he expects Benn to stop Garcia, and that Garcia has not been the same since the Haney fight.
One factor cited in Garcia’s favor is weight. Benn has not fought at 147 pounds since April 2022, and there have been reports that he is struggling to make the limit. Benn has publicly rejected that.
Benn was installed as Garcia’s mandatory challenger, and this is Garcia’s first defense of a world title. If he wins, the likely next step is a unification, with Rolando Romero and Teofimo Lopez most often mentioned as the winner. A rematch with Haney, now the WBO welterweight champion, remains an option.
