Ryan Garcia hasn’t given up on his dream fight with Manny Pacquiao despite his promoter Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions saying the fight isn’t happening.
The original idea was for Ryan, 22, to fight Pacquiao in an exhibition match, but that’s no longer happening. Ryan says it’s going to be a “real fight” with the records for and Manny to be on the line. Fans still appear to have little interest in the match. They
Ryan’s representative Guadalupe Valencia told the Athletic that they’re talking term with Pacquiao’s side.
Gomez says the people he was approached by from Pacquiao’s side are new to boxing, and the fight is not happening. However, the match that Gomez and Golden Boy are interested in making is with Teofimo Lopez.
Gomez and Oscar De La Hoya met with Teofimo’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank on Thursday at his Beverly Hills home. The plan is for Teofimo to fight his IBF mandatory George Kambosos Jr, and then take on Ryan Garcia later this year.
Arum would like WBC interim lightweight champion King Ryan to face #2 WBC Javier Fortuna next, which would be a step up for him from his previous fight against Luke Campbell.
“There’s nothing to talk about there,” Golden Boy president Eric Gomez said to ESPN on the Ryan Garcia vs. Pacquiao fight. ”
“They contacted us, but it turns out there’s nothing to talk about. That fight isn’t going to happen.”
“Teofimo is more feasible,” Gomez said. “It’s one of the fights that’s obviously of interest to Ryan Garcia. It could be a great fight.”
It’s going to be up to Ryan and Golden Boy to decide which direction they go in for his next fight. The only reason Golden Boy would balk at the idea of matching Ryan against superstar Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) is if the money isn’t there.
Pacquiao is accustomed to making a lot of money each time he fights. The promoters would need to find a way to make this fight between the 42-year-old Pacquiao and the upstart Ryan (21-0, 18 KOs) work out financially.
Although Ryan has many followers on social media, it’s debatable whether they would be willing to purchase his fight against Pacquiao on pay-per-view.
If they’re out of work, teenagers depending on their parents, might not have the means to purchase the fight on PPV.
You hate to say it, but hardcore boxing fans would view the fight in the same realm as Floyd Mayweather’s match against YouTuber Logan Paul.
In other words, a one-sided affair. Ryan isn’t a Youtuber, but he would have about as much chance of beating Pacquiao as Logan Paul would of beating Mayweather.
As P.T Barnum once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.’ So perhaps Pacquiao vs. Ryan Garcia might do well on pay-per-view. Ryan and his rep Valencia will need to convince Golden Boy to make the fight with Manny happen.
“I’ll make it very clear. I am not fighting an exhibition, Ryan Garcia said on Instagram. “So many things are being said.
“I’m not stepping into the ring with nothing on the line. I’m coming to take the torch. 12 rounds with the records on the line,” said King Ryan.
