Garcia says he can still comfortably make 140 pounds and wants major fights despite currently holding a welterweight title
Ryan Garcia says he is willing to move back down to 140 pounds for the right fight and specifically mentioned Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis as targets. Garcia insisted his team still believes he can comfortably make junior welterweight despite now campaigning as a titleholder at 147.
“If that opportunity presents itself, I would love to fight Shakur Stevenson, or we could bring Gervonta back, you know, from wherever he’s at. You know what I mean? Like, let’s go. I want that,” Ryan said to ESPN’s First Take.
“I just want boxing to be at the top. I want to make these fights happen, and I know I could beat these guys.”
Ryan made it clear he is not planning to stay locked into one division despite now campaigning at 147.
“Well, my intent, look at my strength and conditioning coach, he said that he believes that I can make 140 comfortably. I trust the people around me,” Garcia said.
The comments came during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take after Garcia was asked about a possible fight with Conor Benn, who has been calling him out publicly.
Ryan said Benn had been targeting him long before the recent exchanges.
“He’s been talking for some time. It hasn’t even just been recently. It’s been maybe a year, two years,” Garcia said.
“He actually pulled up on me in London and tried to fight me, started some trouble at an award show. Ever since then, he’s been on my radar.”
Garcia also revisited his loss to Gervonta Davis and claimed he was the fighter willing to accept difficult terms to make that bout happen at a time when major names were avoiding each other.
“Nobody was fighting each other. Everybody was scared of each other. Everybody was ducking each other. Everybody was trying to protect the O,” Garcia said.
“I went and took all the clauses that Gervonta Davis put on me and I’m the one that made that fight happen.”
Later in the interview, Garcia again mentioned Tank while questioning why the former lightweight champion remains such a major topic in boxing discussions.
“I’m a world champion now. What has he been doing? Why are we talking about him? He hasn’t been doing nothing,” said Ryan.
