Ryan Garcia has his hands full headlining a Ring Magazine card in Times Square, New York on May 2 against Rolando Romero, and a potential rematch against Devin Haney later this year.
But that’s not preventing Garcia from planting the proper seeds for even more meaningful matchups to materialize in the future.
The Ring, WBA, and IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis stands as the king of the division after his dominant sixth-round stoppage win against Eimantas Stanionis on April 12. Garcia, who’ll be making his 147-pound debut against Romero, is interested in a crack at the crown.
“A 100 percent yes [I am open to the Ennis fight],” Garcia told reporters during a media workout in San Diego. “It's another big fight and another mega event. It's what I like to do. I don't shy away from anybody. I am willing to do that too.”
Garcia added that Ennis gets hits with plenty of punches and that he didn’t consider the Philly fighter’s win the caliber of victory that puts him among the top of the pound-for-pound list.
“He looked good. Stanionis is a perfect fighter to look good against,” said Garcia. “Stanionis is there to get hit a lot, not a lot of defense. Boots did what he had to do and looked good doing it. I look forward to great competition in the future … I'm much more snappier and ferocious than Staniosis. It could be a lot. You never know in the ring. Some people can take shots, some can't. He's a big boy, though. He's taking them well so far. But in this sport, it takes just one good one.”
Garcia also called for a clash against Teofimo Lopez Jr. in 2026, but each of his plans could go up in flames if he falters against the power-punching Romero.
“I'm coming in with so much more strength and more willpower because you don't have to stress making the weight cut at 147,” said Garcia. “You know how Rolando fires shots. He's not going to change. He opens up wide and tries to knock you out. That's just what it is. For me, it's just about slowing it down and making sure that I tag him when I have the opportunity.”
The fight with Romero will be carried
by DAZN PPV.
Manouk Akopyan is a lead writer for The Ring. He can be reached on X and Instagram @ManoukAkopyan.