While recognising Ryan Garcia and Isaac Cruz’s advantages, Roy Jones Jr believes the “deadly” power of one man would prove significant in their potential clash.
Both fighters have verbally expressed their interest in colliding later this year, with Garcia looking to stay busy after stopping Conor Benn in two rounds.
It was, of course, a far shorter affair than many had anticipated, as the 28-year-old floored Benn with a crushing right hand and successfully defended his WBC title.
Garcia then went on to call for a unification match with WBA champion Teofimo Lopez, who he is targeting for a Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown in 2027.
Before then, though, the American is keen to make another defence of his world welterweight title, with Cruz having been named as an ideal opponent.
The 28-year-old super-lightweight contender returned to action last weekend, scoring a sixth-round knockout over Nestor Bravo before confirming his desire for a clash with Garcia.
Speaking on ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT, pound-for-pound legend Jones weighed in on their possible contest and, while acknowledging Cruz’ attributes, he ultimately agreed with the general perception that Garcia must be made a clear favourite.
“I see Pitbull being an issue for Ryan to a degree but, if Ryan can hit anybody, they got problems. So if [Cruz lets] Ryan hit him, he’ll have problems; if he can get close enough to smother Ryan’s power, Ryan will have problems.
“I lean towards Ryan, because Ryan seems to get better and better every fight. And that right hand has really gotten better. So Ryan’s got killer power in both hands now, which makes him deadly.”
Not only has Garcia’s right hand become a useful weapon but, with a height advantage of around 6in, he is also a naturally much bigger man than Cruz.
