“I really want to fight Shakur bad. I don’t like those people who think. You’re not the best. You’re not even showing you’re like that,” Garcia said while speaking to David Benavidez in the gym. “It’s one thing to win a fight, and another thing to show I’m like that. He’s out here saying, ‘Oh, I’m the best.’ You’re not the best fighter. There’s a lot of guys that are monsters. You’re not a monster. He’s more like a puppy.”
The language was blunt, but the point was clear. Ryan is drawing a line between winning rounds and imposing yourself in a fight. In his view, Shakur’s style keeps control of fights but does not create the kind of threat that backs up a “best fighter” claim.
That distinction has followed Shakur for a while. He has picked up titles across divisions and continues to win at a high level, but the reaction to those wins has not always matched the results. Opponents are being beaten, yet the fights rarely leave the kind of mark that shifts how people talk about him afterward.
Garcia is stepping into that conversation directly. He is not arguing that Shakur cannot win. He is arguing that the way he wins does not match the image being pushed.
A fight between them would put that claim under pressure in a way Shakur has not faced recently. Ryan brings a different type of threat. He is not there to outbox for long stretches. He forces exchanges and looks to change fights quickly, which would test whether Shakur can maintain control without giving ground.
There is also timing behind it. Garcia is coming off a period where his own standing has been questioned, and calling out Shakur allows him to position himself against a fighter who has been protected by results but still debated in terms of presence.
Shakur has built a career on discipline, control, and limiting risk inside the ring. That approach has kept him winning, but it has also left space for criticism like this to stick.
Ryan is not asking for a ranking or a belt. He is asking for proof. If Shakur is going to keep calling himself the best, this is the type of challenge that forces him to show it in a way that leaves no room for debate.
Stevenson’s recent victory over Teofimo Lopez on January 31st was one-sided but dull, showing no instances of drama and little in the way of entertainment value. Shakur stood on the outside all night, throwing jabs and retreating when attacked. That was a typical fight for him.
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