Ryan Garcia has made a lot of noise within the last month, but nothing has yet to materialize.
Following his eighth-round knockout of Oscar Duarte in the main event of a December 2 DAZN show at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, Garcia was eager to call out Devin Haney, who became a two-division titlist a week later when he knocked down Regis Prograis and dominated the former champion in a 12-round unanimous decision rout to win the WBC junior welterweight belt in a scintillating performance that headlined a DAZN Pay-Per-View card on December 9 at Chase Center in San Francisco, where Haney was born.
“I’ve advised my team to contact team Haney to discuss and make the fight happen between Devin and I,” Garcia wrote on December 19. “The ball is in your court, Devin. I’ve made my move, and I’m showing you and the boxing community that I’m committed to this fight.”
Haney responded to the post by stating, “These are facts.”
Both parties confirmed later in the month that talks were underway, only for Garcia to change his mind two weeks later.“I’ve notified my team I’m going a different route,” Garcia posted on January 6. “My intent now is to fight Rolando Romero.”
“Spring 2024,” Romero tweeted shortly after.
But there’s a problem. Ismael Barroso stands in the way of the dream fight.
The 40-year-old Venezuelan southpaw knocked O’Hara Davies out in the first round on the Vergil Ortiz Jr.-Frederick Lawson undercard at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, ironically on the same day of Garcia’s sudden change of heart. With the win, Barroso won the WBA interim 140-pound title and secured a rematch against full WBA champion Romero 7½ months after referee Tony Weeks controversially stopped their fight in the ninth round last May 13 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, albeit Barroso was clearly landing the better punches in the final exchange.
If Garcia isn’t going to fight Romero, what’s his plan? Oscar De La Hoya had the right idea, a fight against a former unified 140-pound world champion with much experience: Jose Ramirez.
Looking like Ryan Garcia vs. Jose Ramirez is getting close and happening,” he stated Wednesday.
Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian, became a two-belt titleholder at junior welterweight when he scored a sixth-round knockout of then-unbeaten world champion Maurice Hooker in July 2019 in Hooker’s home state of Texas. The 31-year-old eventually fought Scotland’s Josh Taylor for the undisputed championship but suffered two knockdowns en route to a 12-round unanimous decision defeat, accounting for the only loss on his pro résumé.
Ramirez signed a multi-year promotional deal with Golden Boy Promotions earlier this month. The Avenal, California, native was promoted by Top Rank since turning pro in December 2012 but switched promoters because he felt Bob Arum and company did not have a long-term plan for him after he called WBO 140-pound titlist Teofimo Lopez out immediately following his upset win over Taylor last June 10, only for his desires to fall on deaf ears at the time. Ramirez was later offered $2 million to face Lopez on February 8 but turned it down.
Is Garcia interested? Nope.
“No Ramirez,” Garcia wrote on social media. “Sorry, that’s just not going to happen right now. Let me make that clear.”
So, what’s Garcia’s true intention? Let’s be clear. He wants the easiest path to a world title. That’s Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero. Haney called his bluff, and Ramirez poses a serious threat to his playbook. But should Garcia wish to remain active, he may face a fighter of a similar caliber to Duarte first.
It seems extremely unlikely that an attempt from team Romero to give team Barroso step-aside money will be successful. With that said, Garcia could go straight into a fight with the winner of Romero-Barroso II, or he’ll listen to De La Hoya and keep his tools sharp, a lesson he learned the hard way against Tank Davis.
But if Barroso pulls off another stunning victory, Garcia may want to evade that smoke as well.
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