Ryan Garcia says Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz has ducked him three times. That is a hard claim to square with what happened after Cruz knocked out Nestor Bravo: Cruz looked directly into the camera, called out Ryan, and asked for him next. Ryan’s new accusation deserves a closer look.
“Pitbull do not want it, my guy,” Ryan said during a livestream. “I’m going to give him one more chance.” He offered no dates or terms for the three alleged refusals.
The order of events makes this fishy. After stopping Conor Benn on September 12, Ryan was already downplaying the prospect of facing Cruz. A week later, Cruz went through six rough rounds with Bravo and made his challenge in the ring. He did not sound like a man looking for an exit. Ryan then proposed December and said an offer was on the table.
Now Ryan has made that date a test of Cruz’s willingness. Ryan took little punishment in a two-round win. Cruz has to recover from a harder fight, return to camp and prepare for a welterweight champion who is naturally bigger than him. If Cruz asks for January or February, Ryan can call that another refusal. It would prove only that Cruz did not accept Ryan’s timetable.
The weight has not been cleared up publicly, either. Cruz holds an interim title at 140 pounds; Ryan holds the WBC belt at 147. Was Cruz offered a full welterweight fight, a catchweight, or something else? The answer matters before anyone can judge who is making concessions.
Ryan has a lot to protect. His quick win over Benn strengthened his position for bigger fights next year. Cruz’s pressure could wreck those plans, while a Cruz who has had little time to prepare presents a different proposition.
Perhaps Ryan’s side has made offers Cruz rejected. If so, the dates and terms would make his case far better than another livestream accusation. Right now, Cruz’s emphatic callout is public, and Ryan’s account of three refusals remains unsubstantiated.
