Garcia crushes overmatched Benn in two rounds

Ryan Garcia crushed Briton Conor Benn with a ruthless second-round stoppage to retain his WBC welterweight crown in a world title mismatch in Las Vegas.

The American dominated from the opening bell, repeatedly punishing Benn as the 29-year-old charged forward with a wild and increasingly desperate approach.

Benn was dropped by a flush right hook in round two but managed to beat the count. before Garcia continued the onslaught with Benn backed against the ropes until the referee stepped in.

"I knew he would bring the pressure, I felt the shots and though 'I'll let him have his way', but I knew his was reckless and you can't do that with me," Garcia told DAZN.

It was a sobering - and, for many in the sport, unsurprising - conclusion to the biggest night of Benn's life in boxing.

Few gave the Essex fighter much chance, with Benn, who fell to the second defeat of his 10-year professional career, having never faced an opponent of Garcia's calibre and some questioning whether he had done enough to earn a world title shot in the first place.

Benn was fighting at welterweight for the first time in more than four years and had already said this would be his final appearance in the division, regardless of the result.

Garcia, 28, stayed true to his promise to stop Benn inside five rounds as he made a successful first defence of the title with his 26th win from 28 professional contests.

What next for Benn after crushing loss against WBC welterweight champion Garcia? - reaction

Earlier in the evening, a moment's silence was held before Monday's first anniversary of the death of Ricky Hatton, the Manchester fighter who famously brought tens of thousands of British fans to Las Vegas during his career.

Benn's travelling support was far more modest, with only pockets of British fans visible among the 18,855 crowd at T-Mobile Arena.

Benn, dressed in black with a Union Jack carried behind him, was greeted by a wall of boos as he made his way towards the ring alongside his father Nigel, who enjoyed one of his most famous victories in Las Vegas when he stopped Iran Barkley inside a round in 1990.

Garcia, who is of Mexican heritage, took considerably longer over his entrance, walking out to mariachi music on Mexican Independence Day weekend.

The opening round played out much as many had predicted, with Benn aggressively coming forward and Garcia looking to pick him off on the counter.