Ryan Garcia revealed in an interview that he wants to fight Teofimo Lopez next. He says he’s already messaged Teofimo (22-1, 13 KOs) on social media, saying, “Let’s run it.”
Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) states that he’s well aware that Teofimo and Shakur Stevenson are talking about wanting to fight next. He says he doesn’t care. His fight with Lopez will be “more exciting” than a Shakur-Lopez clash.
Saudi Plans Disrupted
The Saudis would have to change directions because they reportedly have been trying to set up the fight between Teofimo and Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs). With Garcia’s large following on social media, a fight between him and WBO light welterweight champion Lopez would be huge on PPV.
Teofimo would likely need to agree to move up to welterweight because Ryan has outgrown the 140-lb division. His last fight was at welterweight against Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
If Garcia, 27, gets his wish and the Lopez fight is made, he needs to put in more effort than he did in his loss to Rolly. Ryan was reportedly paid $20 million for that fight, and he didn’t show much effort in trying to win after getting dropped in round two. There was no effort. Fans expected Kingry to go down swinging, but he did the opposite by avoiding exchanges with Romero after his bad start.
Garcia vs. Rolly punch stats
- Ryan Garcia: 65 connects of 210 shots for 31%
- Rolando Romero: 57 of 280 for 20%
Why He Skipped the Rematch
“That’s the one I want,” said Ryan Garcia to Cigar Talk about wanting to fight Teofimo Lopez. “It makes me excited because I come back and beat Rolly. They’re like, ‘Yeah, you beat Rolly. Who cares?’ If I come back and beat Teofimo, that’s a bigger statement. I know everybody would count me out again, just like Devin Haney.”
Fans on social media have mixed reactions today, with some in favor of a Garcia vs. Teofimo fight while others view it as problematic. Some doubt that it’ll happen due to Lopez’s negotiations with Shakur. Teo would have to abandon that fight, and he’s already said that he wants to fight Shakur first, then Ryan .
“It excites me because I know it would be the right timing for me, because I feel more involved in it, and I feel my aura is back in the sport. I just know I’ll beat him,” said Kingry about Teofimo. “My style, I just know I’ll beat him fairly easy. I’m going to put a beating on him bad, like swollen up just like Devin Haney.”
Ryan choosing to fight Lopez rather than avenging his recent loss to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero would be a bad look in the eyes of some fans. Rolly beat Ryan by a 12-round unanimous decision on May 2, 2025, at Times Square in New York. Romero dropped Garcia in the second round and won by the scores 115-112, 118-109, and 115-112.
Garcia’s Message to Lopez
“His defense doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to stop my shots,” said Garcia about Lopez. “Hook, right hand, he gets hit with both. For me, the timing is right, and that’s the fight I want. I even messaged him today. I said, ‘Let’s get this going, bro. If you want to run this, let’s run it. If you want a big fight, let’s go.’”
Garcia didn’t say what the reaction was from Lopez, if any. Lopez didn’t mention that he’s been called out today by Ryan.
Shakur’s Plans Are in Trouble
“I don’t want to see that s***. I want to see us go,” said Ryan in reacting to being told that Teofimo is trying to fight Shakur Stevenson next. “I just don’t think it would be as exciting as me and Teofimo.”
Shakur won’t be happy to learn that Ryan is trying to take the Teofimo fight right out from under his nose. He’s counting on that match happening now that Gervonta Davis is busy fighting Jake Paul on November 14th.
Last Updated on 08/29/2025
Read the full article here