When asked whether Benavidez should face Frank Sanchez first before pursuing Usyk, Garcia quickly dismissed the idea.
“He has no business fighting with Frank. Frank’s not a big name,” said Robert to YSM Sports Media.
Robert then said he would rather see Benavidez move directly into a fight with Usyk.
“I think he should go straight into Usyk.”
The longtime trainer doubled down when asked if he truly believes Benavidez would win.
“I think Ben beats Usyk. Really?” said Garcia. “I do believe he beats him.”
Garcia admitted the fight would come with risks for Benavidez, especially against a fighter widely regarded as one of the best heavyweights of his era.
“I know there’s a lot of risk, and it won’t be easy, but I do believe Ben beats him.”
Benavidez captured the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles earlier this month on May 2 after stopping Gilberto Ramirez, while Usyk is coming off his controversial stoppage victory over Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.
Turki Alalshikh recently mentioned interest in matching Benavidez against Usyk in 2027, a fight that would move Benavidez into the heavyweight division full-time.
Benavidez has repeatedly spoken about eventually moving to heavyweight, while Usyk has hinted that only a few fights remain before retirement. A fight between the two would likely become one of the biggest crossover attractions available in boxing if negotiations ever move forward.
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