Without wishing to get too ahead of himself, Ryan Garcia has named one matchup he would be ‘really interested’ in pursuing after his next fight.
The 27-year-old must first take care of business against Mario Barrios – which is no foregone conclusion – this Saturday, when the two welterweights collide at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Entering their showdown as the defending WBC world champion, Barrios comes off back-to-back draws – against Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao – while having previously lost to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.
His reign as a champion at 147lbs has therefore been somewhat underwhelming, with many even believing that Pacquiao, aged 46, deserved to edge their encounter in July.
But while he is yet to cement himself as the best in his division, who most would consider to be Devin Haney, Barrios is nonetheless an all-action volume puncher who typically fights at a ferocious pace.
Garcia, meanwhile, is also a man with a point to prove, especially after suffering a points defeat to Rolando Romero in May.
At the same time, though, the American appears eager to mix it with the very best in his sport, naming pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson as a potential opponent after his clash with Barrios.
Garcia expressed this desire during an interview with Nightcap, while also acknowledging that it would take a career-best performance to defeat Stevenson.
“I’m really interested in the Shakur fight – it gets me going – and those are the type of fights that [will bring] the best out of me.
“Definitely, he’s somebody I wanna look into after this fight [with Barrios].”
Stevenson became a four-division world champion after dethroning Teofimo Lopez last month and, since then, has insisted that any fighter wishing to face him at 147lbs would need to accept a rehydration clause. Garcia, however, claims he can make a catchweight of 144lbs, something that may have to be seen to be believed.
