Benn’s presence is even harder to justify on merit. He has not made 147 pounds since April 2022. His recent appearances include two middleweight bouts with Chris Eubank Jr. plus a flat win over Regis Prograis at a 150-pound catchweight. None of that stopped the WBC from installing Benn as its top contender.
An unheralded fighter returning from middleweight would have been forced to beat a rated welterweight first. Promoters dropped Benn directly into a massive Las Vegas title fight because his name sells tickets.
The same commercial logic protected Ryan after the Romero defeat. A massive online following, err
