Ryan Garcia is determined to win his first world title and believes he has spotted the perfect opportunity.
The hard-hitting superstar has been out of the ring since a loss to Rolando Romero in May. He underwent surgery on his right hand following the bout, and is now gearing up for his return.
Though many feel a rematch is the best forward course, the 27-year-old may not be able to land it. Speaking on Inside the Ring, Garcia instead called out WBC Welterweight World Champion Mario Barrios for his next fight.
“I have not said this publicly, but I want Mario Barrios. I’m going to go for it. I’m going to go for it. If you want to make some good money, let’s go run it. I can leverage to – ‘Alright, Rolly, I got that,’ or Manny [Pacquiao]. If Manny beats him, then I got to fight him.”
Garcia is currently unranked by the WBC in the division, having only fought, and lost, once at the 147lbs limit. Whether or not the sanctioning body would make some movements to accomodate a voluntary defence remains to be seen, though it would be a kick in the teeth for the top contenders given his Pacquiao bout was a similar situation.
Another future fight for the young sensation is a second fight with Devin Haney, who next month challenges for WBO belt against Brian Norman Jr. Garcia beat Haney on the night but saw the result switched to a no contest after it was discovered he had tested positive for a performance enhancing substance.
