Is Arnold Barboza Jr A Back-up Plan For Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia?

“I’m excited to showcase my skills whether it’s against (Devin) Haney, (Ryan) Garcia, or whoever I fight in the co-main.” Those words were from top-rated junior welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr (29-0, 11 KOs), who was announced on Thursday as part of the co-main for Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) vs. Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs). It wasn’t a coincidence that he was on the stage, as not only does Golden Boy want to get him the rub from the event, but they have to be looking at him as a potential late replacement for either Haney or Garcia should something happen.

Although he may just be doing it for the promotion, Garcia looks unstable, and when Haney pressed him in L.A. about not pulling out of the fight and having a panic attack, Garcia shut down and remained quiet. They would keep the face-off brief, and Garcia would leave the stage and eventually the building while skipping the post-press conference media scrum.

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Garcia has been all over the place, whether it was concerning his opponent before the Haney fight was signed, the location of the Haney fight, or the latest with the ticket sales. Garcia seems fragile, so it makes sense for Barboza Jr to be placed there on the stage for the major media outlets to know that if things don’t work out and we don’t get Haney or Garcia, he is ready to step in.

Speaking of Barboza, he spent some time with FightsATW after the press conference to touch on his thoughts on the Golden Boy signing and see if the expectations concerning his career have been met. “It’s been what it needed to be and more. This is a great move that I made. I fought in January, and I’m fighting right back in April. It’s something that I hadn’t had. I’m excited and fighting on the biggest card of the year.”

Barboza would then go into what it means to fight in NYC and what those tuning in should expect. “I’ve never fought in NYC, and it’s going to be an honor. I have the style to entertain the fans.” Entertain is what Barboza is going to have to do to get some of these big fights, as he’s been unlucky with landing them in the past. With his new promoter, Barboza feels like his time is now and is ready for this next chapter of his career to continue to elevate.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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