Boxing
Could Benn take Hitchins test amid questions over Garcia encounter?
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Conor Benn is on the hunt for success at welterweight - and the Briton has made no secret that he wants Ryan Garcia next.
'The Destroyer' has long held ambitions to seize a welterweight title once the dust settled on his Chris Eubank Jr. duology.
His move to Zuffa Boxing represented what Benn saw as the first step in a path towards a shot at the WBC crown in 2026.
Yet complications continue to float around any potential challenge the star could well mount against champion Ryan Garcia.
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Even as Benn teases the likelihood of a bout, several hurdles - some of his own creation - may foil his bid for a major belt.
That might take him elsewhere - and one new foe now on the horizon could be Richardson Hitchins after his own Zuffa move.
The American, the most recent IBF light-welterweight champion, is due to vacate his belt and vault seven pounds in turn.
Could it be then that the pair are on a crash course for each other, with Garcia the one who got away? DAZN News explains.
Why might Benn not fight Garcia?
Ever since dispatching Eubank Jr. in their rematch, Benn has been courting interest as a leading contender for Garcia's belt.
The WBC effectively installed the star as their preferred choice for a shot afterwards, handing him the number-one ranked spot.
After Garcia toppled Mario Barrios to seize the strap in Las Vegas in February, Benn could have been a foregone conclusion next.
But the star's Zuffa move earlier that month, by conventional wisdom, might rule him out of any shot at a major world title for now.
Jai Opetaia found out the hard way earlier this year when his IBF belt was stripped after he contested for a Zuffa crown instead.
Benn was originally only on a one-fight deal with the Dana White-led body, which he fulfiled in his win over Regis Prograis this month.
Since then however, he has reupped on a multi-year, multi-fight deal with the organisation, raising serious questions over a title shot.
That may leave Garcia with questions over putting his crown on the line - and open the door for somebody else to face each man instead.
Why could Benn fight Hitchins instead?
News that Hitchins would step away from the light-welterweight division and pack on a few extra pounds has felt a long time coming.
Having fallen ill shortly before a bout against Oscar Duarte in February, the American was then ordered to face Lindolfo Delgado.
There had been plenty of speculation that neither bout particularly appealed to Hitchins - and his move to welterweight may confirm it.
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More to the point, in signing his own deal with Zuffa, 'Africa' appears to have put his own ambitions for an immediate full title to bed too.
As a then-incumbent world champion upon inking terms, he represented one of the biggest captures to date by White and his team.
Now, with two starry welterweights under their banner, Zuffa might well engineer a chance for Benn and Hitchins to meet in a major bout.
Such a move would potentially carry major box-office power on either side of the Atlantic Ocean - even if it carries no major crown too.
Could Benn still fight for a world title?
News of Benn electing to take increased terms certainly raised a few more eyebrows when the deal was announced earlier this month.
'The Destroyer' remains adamant he will get his world title opportunity, likely against Garcia - and perhaps the wind could yet favour him.
While the Opetaia incident displayed that Zuffa cannot control the whims of the bodies they wish to replace, their roster may give pause.
The more major names signed to their stable, the louder the clamour will be from some quarters for the WBC, IBF and company to relent.
Benn may be hopeful that some concessions can be made during the duration of his contract with the company, especially if he gets Garcia.
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'Flash' will have his own decisions to make on a defence however, with the awareness that the WBC could punish him if he takes a Zuffa fight.
Plenty of variables remain in play on one of the more fascinating storylines boxing has served up this year - and it will surely rumble on too.
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The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
