Ryan Garcia is making a permanent move to super lightweight following a long run in the 135-pound division. The 25-year-old will face Oscar Duarte at the Toyota Center in Houston on December 2. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will air on DAZN worldwide.
A former interim WBC lightweight champion, Garcia had his unbeaten streak snapped by Gervonta Davis in April. The superfight between two of boxing's most popular stars ended in Round 7 when Davis prevailed via knockout. While Davis was clearly the better man, a move north for the loser was a necessity.
Garcia is the massive favorite (-450 per Sports Interaction) against Duarte (the +350 underdog), who has won 11 in a row via knockout. A win would help the California-born fighter secure the biggest fights at 140 pounds.
So, if Garcia rebounds successfully, who could we see him face in 2024? The Sporting News looks at the options for "KingRy" should he prevail on Saturday night.
WATCH: Ryan Garcia vs. Oscar Duarte, live on DAZN
Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis II
The obvious play would be for a rematch between Garcia and Davis. The first fight was a catchweight contest, and it did a reported 1.2 million PPV buys, as well as a $22.8 million gate, the fifth-largest gate for boxing in Nevada's history.
It is a fight Garcia wants, as long as it's under the right conditions.
"I wanna get my rematch at the right weight," Garcia told Fight Hub via Marca. "He knows it wasn't who I really was, I don't really care what anyone says, I don't fight like that. I'm way better than that, and I'm better than him. I don't care if he beat me, I'm better than him. Give me my rematch, and I'll beat him.”
Since the fight, Davis has pled guilty to four traffic offenses for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident in November 2020. Under house arrest, he violated the terms of his home detention and spent 90 days in prison. Back home, the WBA (regular) lightweight champion will return to action next year.
At 140, Garcia believes he holds all the cards for the rematch.
MORE: Will Ryan Garcia reach his potential?
“He's going to have to come to me. Do you know why? Because he can't sell pay-per-views,” Garcia told Boxing Scene. “He can't be a star if he’s doing 150,000 buys [before fighting me]. How can he be a star? I popped him up, remember that. I gave him some stardom. Now, he's poppin'. You need two fighters to tango. So if he thinks he can come back and fight some random dude and do a PPV, he's not. But we'll see what he does.”
Ryan Garcia vs. Teofimo Lopez
If Garcia is serious about his new weight class, he could face WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.
Former lightweight champion Lopez beat Josh Taylor for those titles in June. However, Lopez recently told reporters he rejected a fight against Garcia after being offered a $1.5 million purse.
“When you’re the best, when you are the guy, when you bring major sponsors, endorsements, big major business deals, when you offer me a 1.5 [million dollars] stake in the piece—f--- you,” Lopez told Boxing News via Boxing Scene. “So yeah, I declined the offer.”
Lopez is known for being unpredictable and could change his mind if the right numbers are in front of him.
Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney/Regis Prograis winner
Former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney has joined Garcia in moving up in weight. He faces WBC super lightweight king Regis Prograis on December 9.
Would the winner of that fight defend the belt against Garcia next?
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Eddie Hearn, hosting the fight, believes big fights are in the future of Haney and Prograis.
“If [Haney] wins on December 9, I believe he’ll fight Ryan Garcia, he’ll fight Teofimo Lopez,” Hearn said via Boxing Scene. “But if Regis Prograis wins… he’s our client, he’s our champion. Our job was to deliver him a superfight, a pathway to become a pound-for-pound superstar. They both got it on a plate. It’s all there for them. You want to fight Ryan, you want to fight Teo, you want to fight Tank, you have to win December 9.”
Prograis told Boxing Scene he would like a fight against Garcia (among others) if he beats Haney. Prograis is with Matchroom, while Garcia is with Golden Boy, and both are featured on DAZN.
There is a chance that a rematch clause in the Haney-Prograis contract would affect the timeline for a Garcia fight.
Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando Romero
If not Lopez or Prograis, Garcia could face another super lightweight champion in Rolando Romero.
The WBA champ is coming off a controversial title win over Ismael Barroso in May, where the referee appeared to stop the fight early. Romero has mandatory obligations, but he's definitely eager to punch swap with Garcia.
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“There’s definitely the Ryan Garcia fight,” Romero said via Boxing Scene. “I mean, I think everybody’s asking for me versus Ryan right now, especially at 140. You know, we’re both at 140 now. And I think that’s the fight. You know, I think that’s a massive fight, and, you know, boxing needs that fight. It has a long buildup – a long, long buildup.”
Garcia accepted the fight on social media right away.
Okay rollies you asked for it
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 27, 2023
Let’s get it 🥊🥊
This one is for barroso
A fight of that magnitude would be a collaboration between Golden Boy and Premier Boxing Champions, the latter of which just lost a TV deal with Showtime.
