Ryan Garcia achieved the biggest victory of his career this past Saturday at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, stopping Conor Benn within five minutes to successfully defend his WBC welterweight title. Following the win, Garcia called out WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez for a unification fight, aiming for a potential showdown on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2027. However, during a Monday appearance on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Garcia expressed a desire to return to the ring sooner, possibly in December or January.
He mentioned several potential opponents, including Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Angel Fierro, who had sparred with him during training, emphasizing that this next fight wouldn’t be a mere tune-up but rather a way to stay sharp and entertain fans. Garcia sees no reason to wait until May since he currently has no injuries or lingering effects from his recent fight.
Garcia’s upcoming bout will likely be his final fight under longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy banner. He confirmed he has one more contractually obligated fight with Golden Boy and with Ring, associated with promoter Turki Alalshikh, and both contracts could be fulfilled on the same night. After completing these obligations, Garcia plans to move on and focus on building his own promotional company, KingRy Promotions.
Garcia had a positive experience working with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, the lead promoter of his fight against Benn, suggesting that collaboration could be an option moving forward. He also voiced appreciation for fighting on DAZN, which now negotiates directly with fighters such as Lopez and Devin Haney—offering another potential path for his career.
While Garcia called out Lopez, the most significant matchup on the horizon is undoubtedly a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney. In their April 2024 bout, Garcia knocked Haney down three times in a thrilling contest, but the result was later overturned to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. Garcia has consistently maintained his innocence and voiced frustration over how the positive test undermined his performance. The rivalry between the two fighters remains intense, but Garcia, now in a strong position, is in no hurry to face Haney again.
He said that when they do meet again, he wants it to be for undisputed welterweight championship status, putting everything on the line. Garcia warned that after their next fight, Haney might never step back into the ring due to the high stakes and consequences. Meanwhile, Haney is pursuing his own unification bout with IBF welterweight champ Liam Paro. If both Garcia and Haney win their upcoming matches, it could set up a perfectly timed undisputed title fight during Mexican Independence Weekend in 2027.
Since his victory over Benn, many consider Garcia the new face of American boxing, a role last held by Terence Crawford, who retired in 2025 following a win over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Rumblings suggest Crawford might return to the sport, as he has recently continued to feud with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. However, a fight against Garcia would represent a much more significant comeback than Ennis.
Garcia welcomed the idea of facing Crawford, expressing a desire to “avenge Canelo’s loss” and stating he wants to “beat Crawford’s ass.” He questioned whether Crawford would return to boxing, suggesting that the former star knows he has to come back due to fading recognition—even at events.
Garcia believes that Crawford harbors some jealousy towards him since Crawford never received broad respect outside hardcore boxing fans until his win over Errol Spence Jr. Yet, Crawford’s dominance was short-lived due to his relatively quick retirement, while Garcia continues to rise as a crossover star with many years ahead.
Fan Take: This news is pivotal because it signals the rise of Ryan Garcia as potentially the leading figure in American boxing, promising electrifying matchups and new rivalries that could captivate fans worldwide. With plans for major unification bouts and his move toward self-promotion, Garcia’s career could reshape the sport’s landscape and inspire a fresh era of welterweight competition.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
