Ryan Garcia won, but can he compete with the top 140-pounders?

Mike Coppinger, a writer for ESPN, published an article on December 3rd, 2023, at 5:49 AM.

Ryan Garcia acknowledged that his bout against Oscar Duarte last Saturday in Houston proved to be quite challenging.

In the end, Garcia was participating in his first competition after being defeated by Gervonta Davis through a TKO in April. Additionally, Duarte proved to be a challenging opponent for his comeback match.

During the boxing match, Duarte, who has a record of 26 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, with 21 knockouts, displayed a tenacious attitude and continuously advanced towards his opponent. In the eighth round, Duarte possessed an advantageous position. However, Garcia, who is popularly known for his powerful punches, managed to assert his dominance towards the end of the round.

As Garcia kept on shifting and changing his position, the audience expressed their dissatisfaction by booing. But towards the end of Round 8, he managed to score a tie with a left hook to Duarte's head, causing him to stumble.

Garcia explained, "I managed to nab him with a counter hook when he lunged towards me. My objective was to impede his forward progress. He was gathering speed and I realized I had to put a stop to it."

After some time had passed, Garcia (with a record of 24 wins, 1 loss, and 20 knockouts) threw multiple punches at Duarte. A few of them hit their target, causing Duarte to drop to the ground. Although Duarte gathered his thoughts as he listened to the referee counting him out, he took too long to get back up and was declared the loser of the match despite his objections.

Although Duarte put up a fight, Garcia overshadowed him once again with an impressive knockout win. Garcia is unquestionably one of boxing's most prominent names, but there is still uncertainty about whether he can contend with the best in the 140 lb division.

Garcia expressed his willingness to face Romero by saying "If he wants to fight, let's do it Rollies." Garcia fought Duarte at a weight of 143 pounds. He also suggested building up his career before taking on big names like Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez. Garcia emphasized the importance of taking one step at a time towards success.

It seems that Romero (15-1, 13 KOs) may be Garcia's next opponent. This bold fighter is known for his powerful punches and could be Garcia's first opportunity to compete for a world title. Although Romero lost to Davis last year, it was the only time he has been defeated. However, he is not considered one of the top junior welterweights and currently falls outside of ESPN's top 10 at 140 pounds. His most recent victory over Ismael Barroso in May was marred by controversy after a ninth-round TKO.

Garcia stated on Saturday that Barroso beat Romero fair and square despite the latter's youthfulness, mentioning him as "that elderly gentleman".

However, defeating Romero would still be the most significant accomplishment in Garcia's professional career. His most impressive triumph so far was his seventh-round TKO win over Luke Campbell in 2021, during which Garcia had to recover from a knockdown.

Garcia had some success fighting Davis but unfortunately, he was knocked down twice and lost the fight after taking a body shot and being counted out while on one knee. Garcia revealed this week that he had a hurt rib going into the match.

Davis is an exceptional combatant, regarded by ESPN as the ninth top pound-for-pound pugilist. Just because Garcia suffered a defeat against "Tank" Davis, it doesn't imply he can't measure up to top-tier competition. His task now is to demonstrate that he can indeed compete with another fighter of that caliber.

At some point, Garcia will have to compete against Haney, Lopez, or another top boxer to keep climbing the ranks and maintain his status as one of boxing's leading personalities.

At the young age of 25, he participated in his debut with Derrick James as his coach, who was named ESPN's Trainer of the Year for 2022.

"We will use this as a starting point and strive for further improvement," Garcia stated. "My dedication is to reach the pinnacle of being a champion at a global level."

If Garcia manages to achieve his objective of defeating Romero, it would be a significant stride in the direction of fulfilling his high ambitions. He can deal with other things later because right now, his focus should be on enhancing his skills in the gym. It's imperative for Garcia to put aside his issues with Oscar De La Hoya and concentrate on his boxing career.

For now, he continues to be a prominent figure in the industry, regardless of any criticisms of his combat skills.

According to Garcia's statement to ESPN last October, he believes he is among the top three or four prominent names in the boxing industry. He thinks that if people were asked about him, they would surely know who he is since he has established a strong reputation in the sport. It is a fortunate circumstance to have become a well-known figure in the boxing world. Being listed within the top five is of utmost importance to him.

People may debate endlessly about who is considered the "face" of boxing, but ultimately, it's not that significant. What truly matters is finding a wonderful partner for an exceptional event. I am confident in my abilities and believe that with many years devoted to this sport, I could eventually become recognized as the face of boxing. It will require a strong mindset and unwavering dedication, but I have faith I can achieve this goal.