Ryan Garcia says he’s fighting Manny Pacquiao next

By Boxing News - 01/24/2021 - Comments

By Jim Maltzman: Ryan Garcia posted on Instagram today saying that he’s facing Manny Pacquiao in a “dream turned reality. Ryan (21-0, 18 KOs) had been hinting that the 26-year professional Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) would be next, and it appears that he was correct.

The fight still needs to be announced, so we’ve got to wait for the official word. On Saturday, Ryan, 22, said his next fight is closed to being “finalized” and that h expected it to be possibly done this week.

This is quite a big step up for Ryan, who is going from fighting lightweight Luke Campbell to taking on one of the most popular fighters in the sport in Pacquiao.

The move up to 147 will be a difficult transition for Ryan, who will need to bulk up a little for him to be able to compete with Pacquiao.

Ryan will need to land one of his powerful left hooks for him to get a win, as he’s going to find it difficult trying to win a decision against the talented Filipino superstar.

Fans on social media are already going after Ryan, saying he’s got no chance of winning and he’s looking to ‘cash-out‘ against Pacquiao.  Ryan’s lack of size and experience is going to put him at a big disadvantage against Manny.

If Ryan is serious about his comment about wanting to retire at 26, the payday he’ll get fighting Pacquiao will help cushion his retirement years. This will be a nice golden parachute payday for Ryan.

 

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One negative for Ryan in bulking up to fight Pacquiao at 147, it could prove difficult for him to return to the 135-lb weight division afterward.

For many fighters that have gone up in weight two or three divisions for a big fight, they’ve not been able to return to the form that they once had when they go back down.

The money that Ryan will be getting for the Pacquiao fight is too much for him not to take this fight.

King Ryan says he won’t trash talk Pacquiao, 42, like he’s been doing with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis because he has too much respect for what he’s accomplished.

Ryan is going to have to do some trash-talking if he’s to sell the fight to the boxing fans. Pacquiao typically plays it nice with his opponents, and he leaves it up to them and his trainer Freddie Roach to talk up the fight.

In Pacquiao’s last fight against former WBA welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman in July 2019, he let Keith do most of the talking. He did a fine job of creating interest in the fight by trash-talking Pacquiao.

It was one of Thurman’s best efforts. He was like a professional wrestler with the way he was giving Pacquiao grief in the build-up to the fight.