Emiliano Vargas is sitting at 17-0 with some solid recent KOs, like his TKO of Agustin Quintana in February, but he’s still fighting for regional belts just like the WBO Latino title.
“Emiliano Vargas, he’s not able to fight me yet, and he hasn’t fought anybody,” Garcia said during a livestream. “You haven’t even fought a man on the extent of Luke Campbell, and also you’re talking about fighting me?”
Emiliano has recently spoken a few potential rivalry with Ryan, even drawing comparisons to the history between Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas, his father, despite still constructing his record against lower-level opposition.
Ryan rejected that comparison outright, viewing Emiliano as a prospect still fighting his way up relatively than someone positioned for a fight at that level.
“You haven’t fought no one. Your last fight was a fluke,” Ryan said. “You weren’t beating him like that for them to stop the fight.”
The De La Hoya vs. Vargas comparisons are great for marketing, but Ryan is correct to call a time-out on that narrative. Oscar and Fernando were each established world-class threats after they met.
By dismissing Emiliano now, Ryan is forcing the child to truly take a risk. If Emiliano wants that “KingRy” payday, he’s going to should stop fighting developmental opponents and tackle a top 10 contender.
Ryan is essentially telling Emiliano: “I’m the prize now.” If Emiliano can exit and flatten a legitimate name, the demand for this fight will skyrocket. Until then, Ryan is content to let him stay within the prospect lane while he hunts for legacy-defining unification bouts.