By Max Seitelman: Ryan Garcia is confident of victory over Manny Pacquiao for their still yet to be signed 12-round pay-per-view fight. The two are in talks for a clash at welterweight for April or May.
Pacquiao vs. Garcia needs financing for the match to become a reality, and it’s still an open question if the money will be there. There’s risk involved in putting this fight together. Ryan is not a pay-per-view fighter, and he’s never fought for a world title.
Moreover, hardcore boxing fans have tremendous doubts about whether the popular social media icon will ever win a world title.
Many fans view Ryan as an oddity, an overconfident prospect that believes he can beat everyone, but he hasn’t fought the level of opposition needed to make him believable.
Of course, the 22-year-old unproven Ryan will be a huge underdog going in, but he’s not worried about that.
He believes he’s got the goods to end the 42-year-old Filipino boxing legend Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) down to his eighth career defeat.
Pacquiao takes priority over Tank fight
“What happened with the Gervonta fight? Okay, the Gervonta fight. Right after my fight with Luke Campbell, my eyes were set on that Tank fight,” said Ryan Garcia on social media.
“I’d been saying Tank’s name for a while, and it’s because I’m hungry and I want to fight somebody.
“I have respect for him, and I think he’s a great fighter, but I also feel I’ll beat him and knock him out in two rounds, and I will continue to say that. But look at it from my perspective.
“I have no knowledge of the Manny Pacquiao fight. That was a dream of mine. And that was something I said out of my dream in my heart.
“That was something I always wanted. It was just a dream fight now, and then I kept promoting this Tank fight that I wanted.
“I kept reaching for it because that’s what I wanted, and I got a call, they called me. They say, ‘You have the opportunity to fight Manny Pacquiao,'” said King Ryan.
“Now, at that moment, I’m going to say to myself, ‘Yo, yup, Manny Pacquiao.’ Tank will be there. Tank is 26, and I’m 22. He’s going to be there right after Pacquiao,” Ryan Garcia said.
Ryan had talked a great deal of wanting to fight Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, but he’s no longer in the forefront for the young star. That’s a fight that could happen after Ryan faces Pacquiao, but only if he wins.
Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions won’t sell Davis-Garcia on pay-per-view if Pacquiao destroys Ryan first.
King Ryan would need to rebuild his career by winning a couple of fights before a match against Davis would be considered doable.
Ryan Garcia: I can beat Pacquiao
“This is a good question. ‘Do you really think you can beat Manny Pacquiao?’ Honestly, I do, and that’s all with respect and humbleness,” said Ryan Garcia.
“I really do feel like I’ll beat Manny Pacquiao. We’re talking boxing, and I’m a boxer. I really do feel like I’ll beat Manny Pacquiao.
“In respect. I never want to come out as disrespectful. What do you want me to say? I’ll lose to Manny Pacquiao? I respect him, but I’ll beat him,” said Ryan Garcia.
The hardest part about selling the Pacquiao-Garica fight to the boxing public is the fact that almost no one will be giving Ryan a real chance of winning.
Regrettably, the fight will be viewed as a money-grab for Pacquiao and Ryan, and the fans won’t respect it enough to want to purchase the match in high numbers.
The fight would likely do well if Pacquiao waited until Ryan beat a couple of solid lightweights like Jorge Linares and Javier Fortuna. That’s not going to happen.
Ryan is rushing into the Pacquiao fight off the back of a shaky performance against Luke Campbell.
Tank comes after Pacquiao says Ryan
“I’m not one of these fighters that gets a big payday,” Ryan continued. “Money doesn’t control me. Let that be clear right now.
“Even if I got a big payday against Pacquiao, money doesn’t control me. I’m going to go straight for Gervonta right after a Pacquiao payday. That’s what I’m about.
“Now, if you hate on that, you do not hate on it with a conscious mind, to be honest,” Ryan added.
In an ideal situation, Tank will follow the Pacquiao fight for Ryan, and he’ll beat both and become the new ‘Golden Boy’ for Golden Boy Promotions.
Ryan’s more logical outcome will be him getting knocked out viciously by Pacquiao in four or five rounds and his career quickly going downhill from there. Ryan’s 15 minutes of fame will soon be over, and he won’t be taken seriously any longer.