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Did Benn ace Prograis test enough to trouble Garcia in title fight?
Conor Benn kickstarted his Zuffa era on a winning note on Saturday night - but the Briton made himself work for it at points.
'The Destroyer' has long been open about his ambitions to become a world champion, following in the footsteps of his father.
That name has weighed heavy upon Benn for much of his career thus far. Dad Nigel was one of his era's undisputed greats.
For his own troubles, all the younger man has to show is a minor continental belt and a duology with Chris Eubank Jr. to boot.
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Benn is hellbent on changing matters this year, installed as the likely challenger for Ryan Garcia's WBC welterweight crown.
But after Saturday's occasionally laborious victory against Regis Prograis, the question lingers - is he ready for his title shot?
How did Benn perform against Prograis?
From the perspective of sheer workrate, Benn could not have done too much more than he did against Prograis on Saturday.
The Briton outgunned his opponent in every single round in terms of punches thrown, and only failed to out-land him in one.
Throw in the fact that, on a technical level, Prograis is arguably the smarter boxer, and it feels like a milestone performance.
On the merits of history, the American - a two-time world champion - should be seen as a higher calibre foe than Eubank Jr..
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But at the same time, that does not paint the whole picture. Benn is eight years younger than Prograis - fitter, fresher, faster.
He entered this contest as the odds-on favourite to win. Rumours swirled that his aging opponent was carrying an injury too.
Then there is the power. Since his 2023 return to the ring, Benn has fought five times, and gone the distance on every occasion.
Arguably, powerbrokers would have hoped for a knockout answer here. Instead, Benn's dozen rounds left more questions.
Will Garcia face Benn next?
Having offered his own coming-of-age turn against Mario Barrios in February, the newly minted WBC kingpin is keen on Benn.
At the very least, he believes he can put 'The Destroyer' in his place. 'Flash' seemed far from impressed with his performance.
Across the weekend, Garcia took to social media for a series of broadsides, mostly aptly summed by the line: "CONNOR BUMM".
Such dismissive talk is well within the star's wheelhouse - last year's loss to Rolly Romero has seemingly not humbled his belief.
But Garcia will feel he can back up his points. After all, his pedigree of foe has been far harder than that of Benn thus far to date.
His win over Barrios - arguably the weakest of the then-incumbent champion crop - was nevertheless a dominant showcase.
In any clash made right now, in London or Las Vegas, the California native would enter as the overwhelming favourite for glory.
Even then however, there are questions whether each man would take the other next - and if other tests may await instead.
What other options does Benn have?
If Benn's goal is to win a world title - something complicated by his current Zuffa engagement - then he does have other options.
Former Matchroom stablemate Lewis Crocker, in possession of the IBF strap, would arguably be the most bankable pick to take.
Yet Benn has seemed somewhat dismissive of the Belfast man, and with the latter due to face Liam Paro next, it seems unlikely.
Shakur Stevenson is one other potential with some major star wattage, with the four-weight champion drawn into his orbit too.
The skilled Olympian is considered one of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighters, but would need to vault weight again here.
Ultimately, that may lead Benn to one more fight before Garcia - an actual character test at welterweight rather than catchweight.
Shedding another three pounds against a well-regarded opponent - one less aged than Prograis - would only enhance his reputation.
Perhaps then, Garcia may take the threat he offers more seriously - and with it, the bigger bucks for a blockbuster title fight may come.
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