Ryan Garcia Throws a Wrench in the Works: Ramirez Fight Rejected

Ryan Garcia Throws a Wrench in the Works: Ramirez Fight Rejected
By Tim Compton - 01/18/2024 - Comments

Ryan Garcia has shot down promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s plans for him to fight new Golden Boy signee Jose Ramirez next, leaving fans wondering who the social media giant will fight.

This is the second high-caliber fighter that light welterweight Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) has turned down, and it’s now unclear who he wants, aside from a title shot against WBA champ Rolly Romero.

Ryan is doing what’s best for his career, and he must know that Ramirez is on a different level than him. It would have ended badly for KingRy if he’d faced the talented 2012 U.S. Olympian.

De La Hoya’s Optimism Dashed

The Golden Boy CEO De La Hoya said this yesterday on Twitter about his plans for KingRy’s next fight: “Looking like Ryan Garcia vs. Jose Ramirez is getting close and happening.”

When asked about what happened with Ryan’s hopes of facing Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero for his WBA 140-lb title, De La Hoya said, ‘Priced himself out.”

If Ryan is going to insist on the Rolly fight happening, there’s going to need to be some give on his part to accommodate whatever the champion is asking for.

It’s likely that Ryan only wants the Rolly fight, and it’s understandable. He has an excellent chance of winning that clash, but virtually none of defeating Jose Ramirez if that match were to happen.

The Mayweather-promoted Rolly is seen as the weakest link among the champions at light welterweight, a fighter viewed as an illegitimate champ due to his controversial victory over 40-year-old Ismael Barroso last year.

That was a fight in which the referee, Tony Weeks, suddenly jumped in and stopped the fight in the ninth round after Rolly threw a series of punches, with none of them connecting on Barroso. It was such a bad stoppage; a rematch should have been ordered, or at least, but it didn’t happen.

A String of Rejections

Ryan’s decision to turn down a fight against Ramirez is yet another example of the 25-year-old rejecting quality opposition that his well-meaning promoter De La Hoya is offering him

Initially, Oscar wanted Ryan to challenge Devin Haney for his WBC title, and that would have been a massive-money fight and easily the biggest payday available for Kingry. Sadly, Ryan said no to the idea.