Ryan Garcia has agreed to a fight in April 2025
Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20KO) has agreed to fight Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela (14-2, 9KO) next year, in April 2025, when his suspension is lifted.
‘KingRy’ and ‘Rayo’ will meet at a catchweight of 145lbs, they have verbally agreed.
The former WBC Continental Americas lightweight champion’s career looked all but over when he lost back-to-back bouts against Chris Colbert and Edwin De Los Santos, until he miraculously came back with a vengeance.
He first rectified his defeat to Chris Colbert by stopping his rival in six rounds last December, then he shocked fans further by dethroning the WBA super-lightweight champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz last month in August.
Unfortunately for him, Garcia’s biggest career win, a stunning victory over undefeated, long-term rival Devin Haney in April 2024, was reversed to a No Contest after he tested positive for the performance enhancing banned substance, ostarine. The 26-year-old vehemently protests his innocence over this.
The controversial character from California has also called out Terence Crawford, calling the pound-for-pound great “boring”.
But first, the former Interim champion wants to come back against in-form Valenzuela, stalking to his rival directly, “We can do it in April. I don’t fight at 140lbs, but we can do it at 147 or 154. We can meet in the middle at 144lbs.”
To which ‘Rayo’ agreed, “I can make 144lbs.”
Garcia then seemed to confirm the contest, “We’ll figure out the numbers, but I feel like we can do a big fight.”
He talked up the proposed bout, “You’re a champion and beat somebody [Isaac Cruz] that nobody thought you could beat. I also beat somebody that people didn’t think I could beat.
“It would be two fighters that were underdogs coming to fight each other, and I think we’d do a big fight.”
The pair of punchers left the conversation agreeing to get their teams together to make the match-up happen.