The moment
Ryan Garcia is ready and able, he already has an opponent waiting for him.
Nothing has been going right for the California native this year. He spent the first quarter serving out the last few months of his year-long drug suspension. Once he was cleared, he was thrust into a headline matchup with
Rolando "Rolly" Romero earlier this month.
It was a clear path for Garcia, though not an easy one. He needed to brush past Romero, then get his hands on Devin Haney once more. But, of course, even the clearest paths are filled with dirt.
On May 2, Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) was dropped and lost a 12-round decision. Defeat isn't the end of the world. The 26-year-old knows how to lose, but equally what it's like to bounce back.
The Ring recently reported that
Garcia will undergo surgery on his right hand because of an injury during training camp. He'll now be out of the mix for at least six weeks.
That timetable is only taking into account when Garcia will be allowed to resume training. Meaning, an actual fight won’t take place until the back half of the year.
Although he’ll be out of sight and out of mind, Garcia’s star power won't be dimmed. But getting a decent name could be difficult. Some of his contemporaries might be tied up, forcing him to grab an opponent from the scrap heap.
Avious Griffin, a welterweight contender with a mean streak and lethal right hand, is a generous sort of guy. He understands fully that Garcia will need to get back in the title picture relatively quickly. If the nine-year pro doesn't have any suitable takers, Griffin — scheduled to face Julian Rodriguez on June 28 — will gladly offer himself.
"I want that fight," Griffin told MillCity Boxing. "I'm down for that fight. It would be a real good fight. When it's time to get down, we gonna get down."