Ryan Garcia Has Yet to Earn his Self-Appointed Shot-Caller Status
Junior welterweight Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) is one of boxing’s most popular fighters. But does that mean he’s earned the right to be one of the boxing’s major shot callers? The evidence suggests that the answer is an emphatic ‘no’.
WHAT HAS HE ACCOMPLISHED?
The 25-year-old has an extremely large following on social media and is a fighter with major endorsements. But he’s also someone who has never won a world title. His biggest win to date was against Luke Campbell in January 2021, someone who is arguably a B-level fighter at best.
Supporters of Garcia may retort and point to Garcia’s April 2023 match with Gervonta “Tank” Davis as a sign of his box-office appeal. Yes, the fight was a big event that gained the attention of the mainstream sports audience. But ultimately, Garcia got stopped and wasn’t competitive throughout.
Then, you have the questions about Garcia’s decision-making and mental immaturity. In December 2023, he announced that a fight would happen between himself and WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney in 2024 only to have a change of heart. Then he claimed he wanted to face reigning WBA 140-pound champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero, only to go on social media and have an about-face claiming that negotiations were not going to his liking.
AN INFLATED SENSE OF SELF?
Garcia’s actions have led to some heavy backlash from boxing insiders. Two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi held nothing back in this stinging indictment of the Californian during an appearance with media outlet ProBox TV.
“This kid is a weirdo . . . I think this kid wants to be famous. I think he’s made a lot of money. He’s comfortable. I think he’s comfortable being a social media star.”
“The guy has never even been in a world title fight, and he’s talking about champions like he’s among them . . . He thinks he’s among the elite, but he’s actually not – only in his own mind . . . I don’t think he’s done enough to be an elite fighter.”
Malignaggi’s comments speak to the crux of the issue. Garcia believes he’s an A-side fighter with the right to make demands usually given to established world champions.
To earn the diction of being a shot caller in the sport requires a combination of fan appeal backed up by your accomplishments in the ring. That is not the case for Garcia, who seems to be boxing’s ultimate example of someone with delusions of grandeur.
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