98-92, 98-92, and 98-92. With all three judges scoring it in his favor, Conor Benn secured a wide victory over his opponent, the former two-time world champion Regis Prograis. Yet, for all the lopsided numbers, fans across the boxing world remain far from convinced. The reactions say more than the scorecards do. To most, Benn appeared to struggle against an aging fighter who has since announced his retirement.

Despite the hype surrounding his $15 million deal with Dana White’s Zuffa, his performance barely matched expectations. The lead-up to tonight’s bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium put Conor Benn under intense pressure after he left long-time promoter Eddie Hearn to join Dana White. Fans expected a statement performance that justified the money that pulled him away from Matchroom Boxing. Instead, they were left disappointed. Benn, however, brushed aside the criticism, shifting the conversation by calling out Ryan Garcia.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Garcia, I want my belt,” Benn stated. “I want my belt. Keep my belt warm. September, let’s go! 10 rounds easy. Garcia, you’re next. Keep my belt warm.”

Garcia didn’t take long to respond.

“I’m down GARCIA VS BENN,” Garcia wrote. “Let’s do it!!!!!!

While the WBC titlist at 147 pounds sounded ready, his rival Shakur Stevenson echoed what many fans were already saying about Benn’s showing, stating that going the distance with him would be embarrassing. Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh, who has a partnership stake in Dana White’s Zuffa, backed Stevenson’s stance, calling him the best fighter at 140 pounds.

Inside the ring, the fight told a more complicated story than the scorecards suggested. Benn did control stretches of the fight with his usual aggression. Still, amid rumors of injuries, Prograis’ willingness to trade punches backed Benn up at times and disrupted his rhythm. Benn sounded upbeat afterward, but his bruised face suggested otherwise.

The reaction from fans was immediate, and it quickly moved beyond just the performance.

Conor Benn gets the win but loses the crowd

For some, the issue wasn’t just how Benn fought. “Crazy how Dana White paid $15 million to Conor Benn to go 10 rounds with a finished Regis Prograis, whereas UFC fighters are getting elbowed in the head in brutal fashion for $50k and some CTE,” one wrote. The stark payout gap between MMA and boxing quickly became a talking point, especially as several UFC names called out Benn’s $15 million, one-fight deal.

Sharing similar sentiments, another one wrote, “After watching that sh*t tonight I’d give up Benn one of the worst cards of boxing I’ve ever watched from start to finish. Us fans got f**kin robbed Turk (Turki) or what ever Ur name is u a Dana better shape u pure sh*te.” Given Benn’s performance, some of that backlash also shifted toward White and Alalshikh.

Then came the more direct criticism. “You lost me money; you’re trash. They paid you $15M to make a statement, and you folded to a bum,” wrote one. While harsh, it underscores the gap between expectations and delivery.

And for others, this wasn’t a one-off. It was a pattern. “Bro…you couldn’t stop a dehydrated Eubank Jr at a higher weight. You couldn’t drop or stop a past-prime Regis who is injured…what are you on? Took you 10 years to get to that performance? 😂” That point lands because it connects beyond just this fight. While Benn can point to notable wins, those performances often came with specific conditions placed on his opponents, as seen in the Eubank fight.

The welterweight division is stacked with tough opponents, and Benn had other viable options. A win over a legitimate contender would have carried more weight than asking someone like Prograis to move up and face him.

For one fan, Conor Benn remains unproven at the highest level. “You’re with Zuffa, dummy. All you can win is the plastic toy belt from target known as the Zooooofffa title,” they wrote.

At this point, the pattern is hard to ignore.

Until he defeats a marquee name, Benn will continue to face the same questions – no matter what the scorecards say.

From the doping controversy to his $15 million move, Benn continuing to rack up wins should draw some credit. But if the performances don’t match the stage, the skepticism won’t go away. It will only get louder.

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