What’s next?
Ryan Garcia posed that very question after he battered Devin Haney in a stunning victory on April 21. And on Sunday, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote, “I want to fight again man.”
The possibilities are intriguing, and there’s no reason to wait for an announcement.
Now’s as good a time as any to consider the options.
They include a sequel to the Haney fight. A rematch with Gervonta “Tank” Davis. A showdown with Errol Spence Jr., or even a crossover bout with Sean O’Malley, the popular UFC champion.
First thing to keep in mind: Garcia (25-1, 20 KO’s) said he’s moving up to 147 pounds from 140 pounds, the super lightweight division where tangled with Haney and Davis.
“My body literally can’t go lower than 143,” said Garica, 25, who weighed in three pounds over the contractual 140-pound limit for the Haney fight – costing him $1.5 million – and a shot at the WBC super lightweight title before winning by majority decision. “It’s impossible.”
Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, said now Garcia will be calling the shots.
“Now he’s the man,” De La Hoya said, “now he’s the face of boxing.”
Ryan Garcia agrees to Devin Haney rematch – kinda
During an in-ring interview after Garcia knocked down Haney three times on April 21, he was asked about the possibility of a rematch with Haney.
“Yeah, let’s run it back,” he said.
Haney welcomed the idea.
“Of course,” Haney said. “I thought it was a close fight, still. I would love a rematch. I gave him a shot. It’s only right he give me a shot back.”
But don’t expect it to happen soon.
Garcia doesn’t have much to gain from an immediate rematch. The fight was reasonably close on the scorecards – 112-112, 114-110 and 115-109 – but Garcia battered Haney.
About the only thing left to determine is if Garcia can knock out Haney. Or Haney, the more skilled boxer, can win on points.
Ryan Garcia would fight 6-foot-6 boxer?
During Garcia’s post-fight press conference, the first potential opponent he named was Sebastian Fundora, who’s 6-6, fights at 154 pounds and has a record of 21-1 with 13 KO’s.
Visually, it’d be a fun matchup – Garcia fighting a boxer nine inches taller than he is. And how electric would Garcia’s signature left hook be if he’s throwing it at 154 pounds? A chance to find out alone makes the thought of this fight enticing.
“I had a vision to fight Fundora at 154,” Garcia said. “… I know it’s really random. I just feel like I could get the title at 154. I’ve got guys that big before and I’ve knocked them out. I want to do it.”
Fundora, 26, holds the WBC and WBO light middleweight titles.
Ryan Garcia could seek to avenge defeat
There’s no doubt Garcia would like another shot at Davis, who a year ago knocked out Garcia in the seventh round of their fight in Las Vegas. But it’ll be done on Garcia’s terms.
That means a catchweight bout that would allow Garcia to weigh at no less than 144 pounds, De La Hoya said after the Haney fight. Getting down to 140 pounds by weigh-in before the first fight with Davis apparently was debilitating.
“It hurt every day to make that weight,” Garcia said. “I was shaking in the bed.”
He said the ordeal sapped his power. But Garcia still stunned Davis in the second round before withering, and it’d be interesting to see him enter the ring for a rematch at full strength.
But first Davis has to beat Frank Martin (18-0, 12 KO’s) in their bout scheduled for June 15.
Other options for Ryan Garcia
Recently, Garcia wrote on X, “Errol Spence can’t beat me.”
There’s only one way to find out. Matching them up is not implausible given Spence fights at 147 pounds and that’s Garcia’s desired fight.
Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KO’s) has thrown his hat into the ring. His reputation was tarnished in 2022 after he tested positive for clomifene, a banned substance. As a result, he’s currently unable to fight in the United Kingdom, but that alone probably wouldn’t scuttle a fight with Garcia.
A crossover boxing match with UFC bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley could be lucrative. Both he and Garcia have fueled speculation by teasing the idea.
But if animosity drives Garcia’s choice, well, there’s probably no one he despises more than Bill Haney, Haney’s father and trainer. Might not be a fair fight considering Haney, 53, is 28 years older than Garcia.
But, hey, Mike Tyson is 30 years older than Jake Paul, and they’re scheduled to face off in a heavyweight bout July 20. Maybe the winner gets a shot at Garcia?
OK, probably not.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boxer Ryan Garcia has many fight options after win over Devin Haney
