Ryan Garcia is apparently moving on from his contentious battle with Devin Haney and eyeing a potential showdown with none other than Vergil Ortiz Jr., the man with a perfect record of 21 knockouts in 21 fights. You read that right-21 wins, 21 KOs!
In a twist straight out of a Hollywood script, an intriguing super welterweight fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Tim Tszyu was originally set for August 3. But alas, the boxing gods had other plans. Tszyu’s forehead gash from his March loss against Sebastian Fundora didn’t heal as expected, leaving Ortiz without an opponent. Enter Ryan Garcia.
Garcia, never one to shy away from the spotlight or a challenge, volunteered to jump two weight classes to fill the void. “I love Vergil. He’s my homie, but if I have to step in, I will,” Garcia boldly declared on social media. “Stop playing with me. I’m up 3-0 on my boy.”
Ortiz, always game for a fight, accepted the challenge without hesitation. “I got a call saying you want to step in and replace Tim,” Ortiz responded via social media. “I already gave my manager Rick Mirigian the green light to make it happen. Let’s make this happen, Ryan, don’t let me down! I’ll see you Aug 3.”
Official confirmation pending, but excitement mounts for Garcia vs. Ortiz clash
Despite the buzz, officials representing both fighters have remained tight-lipped, with no “official confirmation” made yet. But the excitement is palpable. Both fighters are signed to Golden Boy Promotions, and Oscar De La Hoya has long hinted that a clash between his prized protégés was inevitable.
“Me and Ryan have actually talked about this,” Ortiz revealed to BoxingScene in 2022. “If we end up fighting each other one day, or if the opportunity is there, we’ll take the money, fight a good fight, and leave it all in there. It would be cool. That’s all I can really say about it.”
The Ortiz-Tszyu bout was supposed to be a marquee event on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles this summer, a flagship Riyadh Season card backed by Saudi Arabian power broker Turki Alalshikh. With Tszyu off the card, Alalshikh has promised to “upgrade the fights.”
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) is on a mission to clear his name after testing positive for a banned substance before his dominant decision win against Devin Haney in April. Garcia’s legal team claims the positive test was due to contaminated supplements. As he eyes a move to 147 pounds, Garcia has also called out big names like Errol Spence Jr. and Sebastian Fundora at 154 pounds.
Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) has been on a tear, returning with back-to-back first-round knockout wins against Thomas Dulorme in April and Fredrick Lawson in January after battling injuries for two years.
