Ryan Garcia Entering Must-Win Fight With Isaac Cruz
“King” Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) has been hinting that his comeback is coming sooner than later against a “big name”. After much speculation, 3KingsBoxing has learned that he plans to fight in May against Isaac “Pit Bull” Cruz (26-3, 18 KOs) in New York City. It’s a fight that Garcia needs to win if he wants to silence the critics and restore his questionable reputation.
READY TO GET BACK TO WORK
Speaking to the boxing press, Garcia spilled the beans and said that the fight would be contested at 144 pounds. When asked to opine on the upcoming fight, the 26-year-old expressed excitement about getting back into the ring.
“It’ll be good. Just another big fight, so I’m ready to do it. Pitbull’s a great fighter. He may have lost one time but fans love him. He’s a big fighter, so I’m excited.”
Garcia is in the final stages of serving a one-year suspension after it was found that he tested positive for a banned substance following what turned out to be a no-contest against Devin Haney in April 2024. Garcia maintains his innocence. However, there’s a cloud of suspicion surrounding him, especially after recently declaring that he will never use VADA testing again.
Cruz is the former WBA junior welterweight champion. He lost that title in his most recent outing, a split-decision decision loss to Jose Valenzuela in October 2024. Pitbull has an upcoming fight against Angel Fierro on January 25 in Las Vegas.
REALITY CHECK
When Garcia asserts that Cruz is a “great fighter” fighter, he’s guilty of hyperbole. While Pitbull has won a world title, there’s not a reasonable boxing enthusiast worth their grain of salt who would make such a claim about his abilities in the ring. Moreover, Cruz is a naturally smaller man. He’s more of a lightweight when it comes to size while Garcia is growing into a full-fledged welterweight.
All the pressure will be on Garcia. He’s the one who has to get past the questions of being a drug cheat. He would be fighting a smaller man and would be a sizeable favorite to the betting public.
To a significant number of the hardcore base, Garcia is more of a social media lightning rod than a real, substantive boxer. His only option is victory if he wants to maintain the credibility he’s built so far in his career.
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