Ryan Garcia Next Fight: After Losing to Gervonta Davis, Who Will King Ry Face Next?
Things have not been easy for boxing superstar Ryan Garcia following his loss to Gervonta Davis, which was the first defeat of his career. Garcia was recently embroiled in a heated argument over Twitter with his promoter, legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya, accusing him of not providing enough support and being absent from the post-fight press conference.
The discussion has generated all sorts of speculation, however, the conversation surrounding King Ry not only has to do with the causes of his loss, but it has mostly centered around his next fight, and whether he will be able to mount a comeback.
Despite the defeat, the fight against Davis was a very lucrative event for Garcia, who earned around 5 million dollars–$2.5 million as a guaranteed appearance fee, plus a percentage of PPV and ticket sales earnings–and was able to boost his already considerable fan base.
It is this fan base that is now clamoring to learn about Garcia’s next opponent, and expecting something equally appealing. But before we dive deep into who might be amongst King Ry’s future opponents, let’s recap what happened at the T-Mobile Arena.
The Knockout
A few weeks before the much-anticipated fight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, “Tank” Davis added some fuel to the fire by stating that he would take down Garcia in a seventh or eighth-round knockout. “I don’t want to sound cocky. I wouldn’t know until I get in the ring with him–his movement, his hand speed. I’ll fill him out overall, break him down by his mistakes, and then we’ll get him out of there,” Davis said in an interview.
Fast-forward to April 22nd, at the T-Mobile Arena, in the seventh round, as the crowd ecstatically roared, Tank smacked Garcia with an assertive and savage body shot, knocking him down, in what turned out to be the decisive moment of the fight. Garcia was unable to get back up, and the referee declared the contest over.
For Ryan Garcia, it was the first loss of his career. However, for many boxing aficionados and pundits alike, the implications were larger than that. This fight was lauded as the one that would define the next emerging star of American boxing, and for Garcia, it meant an opportunity to prove that he belonged to the elite ranks.
However, as many predicted, Davis had more power and strength, and that ended up being too much for King Ry. Betting houses had listed Davis as the favorite, with odds on Davis standing at -230 before the fight, compared to +190 for a bet on Garcia. A bet on Gervonta Davis to win by knockout had odds of -140, and if someone was able to predict that the knockout would happen in Round 7 were able to collect a very handsome payout at +800.
The Next Fight
Despite the loss, Ryan Garcia is, still, one of the most popular contenders in the boxing scene. The boxer from Los Alamitos, California is hugely followed, boasting a follower base of over 277,000 people on Twitter and 10.4 million on Instagram. He seems to thrive in generating engagement through initiatives like the “body shot challenge,” which sparked a series of entertaining videos on YouTube and endeared him to more followers.
These supporters, now, are wondering who Garcia is going to fight next. And, according to what we know, here are some names–the most viable alternatives that the press has been touting as Ryan Garcia’s next rival.
José Ramírez
Born in Avenal, California, Jose Carlos Ramirez, also known as the “Jaguar”, is a very talented boxer who, in June 2020, was ranked as the world’s second-best active light welterweight. He has also won the WBC title in the unified light welterweight category, as well as the United States National amateur boxing championships.
The Jaguar, who participated at the 2012 Olympics in London, boasts a 28-1 record as a professional, including 18 knockout wins, his only loss being against Josh Taylor in 2021. Throughout his professional career, he has won the WBC Continental Americas light welterweight title, and has earned several accolades due to his strong fighting spirit.
Subriel Matías
With a record of 19-1, Subriel Matías is a solid boxer who could be a tough test for Ryan Garcia in his recently adopted weight division. Additionally, Matías, who hails from Puerto Rico and is known as El Orgullo de Maternillo, is the current IBF champion, which would give King Ry the opportunity to earn a championship victory.
Matías, who has established a reputation as a formidable puncher–due to his capacity to end bouts with a single blow–has already faced several notable opponents, and has gained notoriety due to his relentless style, which induces significant pressure on his opponents.
Rolando Romero
Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the mecca for professional, big-money boxing, Rolando Romero has held two world championships in two different weight classes, including the WBA Super Lightweight title, which he has held since May 2023.
With a record of 15-1–including 13 knockout wins–Romero is a boxer who possesses a unique blend of speed, agility, and punching power, which has transformed him into a feared figure in the circuit.
Romero has been heavily publicized as a potential next opponent for Ryan Garcia, although, for this to happen, Romero needs to face British boxer Ohara Davies first as a part of the mandatory challenge where he will be required to defend his title. Romero has also been one of the options favored by Garcia as the next challenger. When promoter Oscar De La Hoya announced that he was seeking Garcia to face Manny Pacquiao, King Ry promptly dismissed that statement, and mentioned that he would like to fight Romero instead.
Arnold Barboza Jr.
A fierce boxer who competes in the super lightweight division, Arnold Barboza Jr. has established himself as a skilled and promising fighter, and as of now, still has an undefeated record of 28-0, including 10 knockouts.
For Barboza Jr., the opportunity to square off with Garcia could increase his popularity and brand equity, especially if he emerges victorious. However, it is important to note that Garcia and Barboza Jr are affiliated with different promoters, and they compete on different networks. Their fighting styles are considered diametrical opposites–Garcia’s aggressiveness a contrast with Barboza’s consolidated style as a counter-puncher–which is also why a matchup between these two figures would be so attractive.
Jorge Linares
In a clear act of defiance, Venezuelan boxer Jorge Linares punched Ryan Garcia’s face as a part of the latter’s “Body Shot Challenge.” The pugilist born in Barinas, Venezuela then cleared the air, clarifying that he respects King Ry and that he considers him one of the best around. However, this came accompanied by a message: “I want to fight him. We both come from losing our latest fight, so this is the best moment to fight,” he said.
Linares, eleven years older than Garcia, boasts a record of 47-8 in a total of 55 fights. Of his 47 victories, 29 have been won by knockout. He has earned wide acclaim because of his technical abilities, hand speed, and footwork, which made him a tough opponent across divisions. Throughout his career, Linares competed in the featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, and super lightweight divisions.
When is Ryan Garcia fighting next?
Whether his opponent is one of the aforementioned contenders, or Ryan Garcia’s promoters have something else planned for us, one thing is for sure: King Ry’s next fight will draw enormous attention and high expectations. Following his loss against Gervonta Davis, it will also depend on his level of fitness, but most analysts are marking the final part of 2023 on their calendars as the estimated date when we can expect to see Ryan Garcia fight next.
Will There Be A Comeback?
Comebacks are not foreign to Ryan Garcia. For the 24-year-old, one of the most difficult fights he has had to endure was not on the ring, but off of it, fending off depression and suicidal thoughts.
“When I was deep in it, I didn’t think I was gonna live. I was so depressed and I got into bad habits. I started drinking, and I never drink, ever. But I was getting drunk all the time. I wanted to kill myself at one point,” García told Dan Canobbio at TMZ.
Garcia, who at that time, had a 21-0 record–including 18 knockouts–took a break from boxing for mental health reasons, and had to pull out of his upcoming fight against Javier Fortuna, which was set to take place in July 2021.
Following this break, Garcia was able to return to boxing, stronger, and to deliver two of his most stellar performances in the ring as of now, against Ghanaian fighter Emmanuel Tagoe and the always complicated Fortuna–whom he was supposed to face before–from the Dominican Republic.
These efforts were not unnoticed.
“I think Ryan Garcia can make a lot of history. I think Ryan Garcia, now that he has this foundation that’s solid, he can do what he loves, and that’s fight,” said his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, who represents Garcia through his company Golden Boy Promotions. And even though, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, De La Hoya and Garcia have been recently squaring off on social media, the support of Golden Boy Promotions is likely to be key as the boxer mounts another comeback, this time on the ring.
To accomplish this, Ryan Garcia has also changed part of his team, parting ways with Joe Goossen, his previous trainer, and beginning a working relationship with Derrick James, who was voted the trainer of the year in 2022 in an ESPN poll.
James, who also coaches welterweight world champion Errol Spence, seems to be excited about his new engagement with Garcia, and boxing fans worldwide are eager to see how this new partnership turns out, adding a layer of expectation to Ryan Garcia’s next fight.
Ryan Garcia
Interested in learning more about Ryan Garcia? Here are some basic facts.
- Born: August 8th, 1998, in Los Alamitos, California, United States
- Parents: Henry Garcia, Lisa Garcia
- Height: 1.8 metres / 5’9
- Turned professional: 17 years old
- Professional record: 23-1 (19 knockouts)
- Prize Money: Estimated $20 million
- Has defeated veteran pugilists such as Mario Antonio Macías, Luke Campbell, Francisco Fonseca, and Romero Duno.
- He was a student of famed boxer Canelo Alvarez, with whom he shared the same trainer.
- Garcia has a large social media following, with Instagram being his most popular channel with over 10 million followers.
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