“I would like to fight to fight so bad 😩 I feel much more now that I actually have a belt. THE CHAMP desires to fight. SOMEONE RUN THE SCRAP” said Ryan Garcia on X.
Ryan is probably going doing plenty of talking to make sure he doesn’t get stuck with a compulsory defense that pays peanuts. By demanding Conor Benn or big-name rematches, he’s forcing the hand of his promoters.
The truth is that Ryan has the WBC belt, however the division is currently a waiting game. Unless someone like Turki Alalshikh decides Benn is well worth the investment despite the Regis Prograis struggle, Ryan might find himself observing a stay-busy fight that he definitely doesn’t want.
If Ryan had that “fight anyone, anywhere” mentality, he wouldn’t be in this example. A “Sugar Ray Robinson” would have already signed to fight essentially the most dangerous guy available simply to prove some extent.
Ryan’s current situation is an ideal example of a fighter being trapped by his own financial expectations. Because he has such an enormous following, he feels he can’t take a “normal” title defense without it being a blockbuster event.
It’s telling that Ryan’s interest in Benn spiked right after Benn looked beatable against Regis Prograis on April 11. It’s the business-first mindset. He’s searching for the best payout with the smallest amount of technical risk.
By dismissing Rolly Romero as an option but chasing a man who just got his eyes cut by a 37-year-old Prograis, Ryan is showing his hand. He wants a reputation he thinks he can beat comfortably.