Arnold Barboza Jr. Calls Out Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez
Top junior welterweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (29-0, 11KO) is setting his sights on formidable opponents within his division, expressing a keen interest in facing stablemate “King Ry” Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20KO) and WBO champion “The Takeover” Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13KO).
Barboza initially believed that securing the WBO’s #1 ranking and defeating two-division champion Jose Pedraza would pave the way for a title fight with Lopez. With both fighters under the Top Rank banner, the fight shouldn’t have been hard to make. However, the Californian switched allegiance to rival promotional company Golden Boy Promotions after realizing that Top Rank wasn’t going to deliver.
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Following an impressive stoppage victory over Xolisani Ndongeni in his Golden Boy debut, Barboza is now eager to take on the top names in the division. In a post-fight interview, he boldly mentioned his desired opponents.
“I want Queen Ryan [Garcia]. I want fucking Teofimo’s [Lopez] bitch ass. If they are running, we have Oscar put pressure on their necks. They just signed Jose Ramirez; I want him too. Man, I want anybody.”
Barboza is on a mission to engage with some of the division’s elite, fueled by his aspiration to clinch a world title. Some boxing pundits believe the Californian should abandon the quest of fighting The Takeover, especially with the change in promoters. Barboza can only hope that the WBO orders the fight sometime this year.
With the junior welterweight division boasting potential matchups, Barboza is poised to leave a mark.
