This past Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Ryan Garcia stopped Conor Benn inside five minutes to keep his WBC welterweight title. In his post-fight interview, Garcia called out WBA champion Teofimo Lopez for a unification bout on Cinco De Mayo weekend in May 2027. Garcia later told Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” Monday that he wants to fight again before then.
“I kind of want to get in the ring either December or January,” Garcia revealed. “That’s kind of where I’m looking at.”
Garcia’s wish list runs long, and two fighters stand out among the many names attached to it: Isaac Cruz and Angel Fierro, who stepped in to spar Garcia during this camp. Garcia says both would be too tough to count as an easy warm-up bout, but he has made clear that he does not want to wait until May without any bruises and without getting hit to the head in the meantime.
“Why do I have to wait until May? I have no bruises. I have no hits to the head. Why can’t I fight? I’ll give the fans a little treat.”
The Last Fight With Golden Boy
Garcia confirmed that one more fight under the Golden Boy banner remains to be completed, according to Garcia himself’s next fight will likely be his final bout with longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya’.
“We have one more fight under the Golden Boy banner,” Garcia said. “We have another fight contractually obligated with Ring — basically Turki [Alalshikh], and that’s where I’m at. That’s the landscape now.”
“From my understanding,” he added, “they can both be fulfilled that same night.”
After both deals are finished, Garcia will no longer carry any remaining promotional duties. He has stated that he intends to move on from Golden Boy and proceed with his own promotional firm, KingRy Promotions.
The Road To Undisputed
Garcia dropped Haney three times in their April 2024 bout. His win was overturned to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. Garcia insists he did not take the drug and has expressed frustration that his performance against Haney was tarnished because of it.
Garcia isn’t eager to face Haney again just yet. He wants to claim everything from him, but he believes settling the score at this point would be too soon.
“Why not do it for undisputed? Why not gamble it all? I want to take everything from him,” Garcia said. “Right now, it’s a little premature. Let him get another belt. Let me get another belt. And let’s do it for it all. If you really want to [raise] the stakes, let’s do it all. Let’s put it all on the line. Everything you could imagine.”
“You didn’t learn the first time? Let’s do it the second time even crazier. For all of the belts, straight up, [undisputed champion status at] 147 [pounds]. And I’m going to kick your fing ass. I’m going to fing destroy you.”
Garcia believes the outcome of the next bout between him and Haney could be Haney’s last.
“I’m telling you. I’m going to predict that now. Let this be known now — he won’t ever fight again once we fight. He knows that. After that, the paycheck will be too pretty, and his face will be too destructive. It’s over.”
Should both contests come to pass and Garcia and Haney both win their respective bouts, the two fighters would find themselves on a collision course for a potential undisputed championship fight during Mexican Independence Weekend 2027.
Crawford’s Retirement And His Return
More than a year has passed since Terence Crawford’s victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, during which he stepped away from boxing. Now there are subtle signs that Crawford could be preparing to return to the ring. Crawford has kept up his rivalry with Jaron “Boots” Ennis in recent days. The retirement came after that win, marked by 2025.
Crawford’s return would be a much bigger fight against Garcia than it would be against Ennis. Crawford retired just over two years after his dominant victory over Errol Spence Jr., while Garcia has already been a crossover star and still has many more years to be one.
“I don’t mind that,” Garcia said of the matchup. “I want to avenge Canelo’s loss. I just want to beat [Crawford’s] ass, to be real. I want that. He knows that I want that. I’m willing to test him to see where he’s at.”
“But will he come back out of retirement? I don’t know. He knows he has to [because] nobody knows who the f he is. He has to come back to boxing. He knows that, though. He can see that. The security didn’t even know who the f he was. That’s a problem.”
Garcia thinks Crawford holds a grudge against him and feels envy toward him, because Crawford did not receive the respect he deserved outside of the boxing fan base until his decisive win over Spence. Crawford’s stay near the top of the sport was brief.
The New Face Of American Boxing
A near-consensus has now formed around Garcia being the face of American boxing going forward, since he won over Benn. Crawford was the last person to hold that position domestically, at least in terms of how the sport is currently defined.
Key Facts Box
- Garcia stopped Conor Benn inside five minutes at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
- Garcia retains his WBC welterweight title
- Garcia called out WBA champion Teofimo Lopez for a unification on Cinco De Mayo weekend in May 2027
- Garcia has one more fight left under the Golden Boy banner
- Garcia’s next fight contract is with Ring, through Turki Alalshikh
- Garcia and Haney’s April 2024 bout ended in a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for ostarine
- Haney is in talks for his own unification bout with IBF champion Liam Paro
- Crawford retired in 2025 after beating Canelo Alvarez
What We Make Of It
Garcia’s post-fight talk carries real menace behind its theatricality. He is calling out Lopez, hinting at a rematch with Haney, and openly taunting Crawford to return.
Garcia’s big goal is the Cinco De Mayo fight against Lopez, but he is not waiting on it. Instead, he wants to get in the ring again before then, pushing for a December or January bout that would give the fans something special to see.
KingRy Promotions has been on Garcia’s mind for years, and now he is finally making it happen. He has spent a long time discussing it, and the move is no longer just talk. The two contracts with Ring and Golden Boy stand in his way, and once they are settled, he will be free to move forward.
The Crawford angle is the most interesting subplot. Crawford’s retirement has been questioned since day one, and Garcia is giving him a reason to come back. Avenge Canelo’s loss, beat Crawford’s ass, test where he is at — those are not empty threats.
Crawford coming out of retirement is what Garcia thinks will happen. The speculation centers on the money being too attractive and Crawford’s face being too damaging. This is a bold guess, and it fits the kind of bold guesses Garcia has become known for.
Final Word
American boxing has a bright young talent on its hands in Garcia, who combines a strong record with a large platform and a magnetic personality. Rather than waiting for the big fights, Garcia pursues frequent competition, driven by ambition rather than patience.
It remains to be seen whether his desire comes true. Garcia has set his sights on a bout in December or January. Lopez follows in May. Haney is the eventual goal. Crawford’s timing is the unknown variable in all of this.
Garcia currently stands as the player others must catch. The real issue at hand is straightforward: which competitor has what it takes to put an end to his winning streak?
There is no current answer to the question at hand. However, one certainty does exist: Garcia is not afraid.
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