Ryan Garcia has called for a blockbuster showdown against retired pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford, while simultaneously questioning the strength of ‘Bud’s’ résumé.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garcia claimed Crawford avoided fighting some of boxing’s younger elite and retired before facing several dangerous challengers. He said:
“I don’t think he really fought anybody who was young, talented, and hungry. He didn’t fight Vergil. He didn’t fight Boots. He retired too early.”
Garcia also suggested that Crawford’s biggest victories came against opponents who were either past their peak or not fully established at the elite level. The 27-year-old said:
“Canelo was already kind of past his prime… Spence was a nice one. I’ll give him that.”
Ryan Garcia targets Terence Crawford super fight
Terence Crawford officially announced his retirement last year following his unanimous decision victory over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. The win added another historic achievement to an already remarkable career that saw him become boxing’s first undisputed champion in two different weight classes during the four-belt era.
The Omaha native retired with an undefeated professional record and victories over notable names including Errol Spence Jr., Shawn Porter, Kell Brook, Amir Khan, Viktor Postol, Jeff Horn, and Israil Madrimov.
However, some critics have long argued that Crawford’s career lacked fights against certain contemporaries during their respective peaks. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. emerged as elite welterweight contenders in recent years, but neither ever shared the ring with Crawford.
Garcia appears to share that criticism and believes a fight between the pair remains viable despite Crawford’s retirement. He stated:
“I’ve always wanted to fight him. I still want to fight him. I want to get him out of retirement and beat him.”
Garcia says Manny Pacquiao remains his dream opponent
Despite calling out Crawford, Ryan Garcia admitted that the former undisputed champion was never his ultimate dream fight.
“He’s not really that iconic for me to say it’s a dream fight. Manny Pacquiao, for me, is a dream fight.”
Check out Ryan Garcia’s comments below:
‘King Ry’ has repeatedly expressed admiration for Pacquiao throughout his career, often citing the Filipino legend as one of his biggest inspirations.
The comments come at an interesting stage in Garcia’s career following his suspension and subsequent return to the sport. A fight against Crawford would undoubtedly become one of boxing’s biggest attractions if ‘Bud’ were willing to reverse his retirement decision.
For now, Crawford has shown little indication that he intends to return to competition. Nevertheless, Garcia’s remarks have added another intriguing storyline to boxing’s ever-evolving landscape, while also reigniting debate surrounding Crawford’s standing among the sport’s all-time greats.
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