Ryan Garcia now ready to be face of boxing after…
Fresh off profitable his first major world title, the WBC welterweight belt, Ryan Garcia believes he finally has the whole lot he wants to turn into the face of boxing, but he’s not ready to declare that lofty title just yet.
Garcia appeared on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith this week to discuss about his future, potential fights with Conor Benn and Devin Haney, and what profitable a world championship means for his ambitions.
After profitable the WBC welterweight belt over Mario Barrios in February, California native Ryan Garcia believes he’s ready to take the next step and turn into the ‘face of boxing.’Getty Images
After profitable the WBC welterweight belt over Mario Barrios in February, California native Ryan Garcia believes he’s ready to take the next step and turn into the ‘face of boxing.’Getty Images
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When Smith requested whether or not Garcia still sees himself as somebody succesful of being candy science’s public ambassador despite preventing just 3 times in the past three years, Garcia pointed to the belt as the lacking piece.
“Well, you know, now that I’m a world champion and I have the belt, I feel like I’ve always had the following and all the opportunities you can have as a superstar,” Garcia said. “Now that I have this piece that I was kind of missing, of course I would love to keep fighting, carry boxing, and lead this generation of young fighters in popularity and now as a world champion.”
He was fast to add that discuss is affordable from right here. “I have all the opportunities to become the face of boxing, but now I just have to prove it with my dedication and all the fights that are going to be lined up. I have to do it now.”
In 2024 Garcia has examined optimistic for osterine, a banned efficiency enhancing substance and was subsequently banned from competitors. Shortly after his PED suspension, Garcia sparked major outrage during a livestream on X where he used racial slurs against Black people and made disparaging feedback about Muslims and other teams. He was reinstated by the WBC in November of 2025.
During the interview, Garcia also confirmed curiosity in a title protection against Benn and called a Haney rematch “the only fight that would make sense” after that.
On his 2023 loss to Gervonta Davis, Garcia pushed back on any narrative that it outlined him, arguing he took the combat when other top fighters have been ducking big matchups to shield their information. Garcia said a rematch with Davis would only occur on “even terms” now that he’s champion.
He didn’t precisely prolong a pleasant offer to Davis. “I’m a world champion now. What has he been doing? Why are we talking about him? He hasn’t been doing nothing.”
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