“All I Know Is That I’m Ready”: Ryan Garcia Opens Up on Teofimo Lopez Rejecting $1.5 Million Deal and Shakur Stevenson Calling Him Out for a Fight

Ryan Garcia will meet Oscar Duarte Jurado tomorrow at Houston’s Toyota Center. It’s a critical fight for the 26-year-old Californian. But, from what it might appear to many, the strain seems to be taking its toll on the young boxer. Garcia reportedly targeted his promoters, Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins, in a furious outburst during the last press conference with Duarte.

‘KingRy’ comes on the back of a high-profile loss to Gervonta Davis in April. It was the first career loss for Ryan Garcia. He literally had the world at his feet until then, with millions of fans across social media platforms. While he settles down to redeem himself, a myriad of issues surrounding him continue to make headlines. Speaking to the media after the final press conference, Garcia laid bare his thoughts. It covered Teofimo Lopez‘s recent revelation about a $1.5 million fight offer for Shakur Stevenson‘s catchweight callout.

Ryan Garcia: Completely out of my depth as of now

Ryan Garcia said he doesn’t have any knowledge about the recent statements made by Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez. He said, “I don’t know anything about a deal; I don’t know anything about that; I haven’t been on that; I haven’t been checking that,” when one of the reporters asked for his thoughts on Teofimo Lopez rejecting a fight deal, as well as Shakur Stevenson expressing a willingness to fight between the two.

‘KingRy’ added that the only thing that bothered him was the December 2 fight. Maybe post-fight he could look into the rest of the matters. He said, “All I know is that I’m ready for December 2nd, so we’ll get into that after the fight. Ask me any questions about that stuff after the fight, [and] I’ll gladly answer any questions, but right now I’m focus on getting Duarte.”

His response follows what Teofimo Lopez shared. ‘The Takeover’ was at the David Benavidez–Demetrius Andrade ringside. He shared how he refused to go with a Ryan Garcia fight because of the meager $1.5 million offer. Explaining the reason the Brooklynite said, “When you’re the best, when you are the guy, when you bring major sponsor endorsements [and] big major business deals, when you offer me a 1.5 steak in the piece f*ck you, so no yeah I declined the offer.”

The beef with Shakur Stevenson heated up recently after Ryan Garcia went all-out against the three-division champion’s lackluster performance against Edwin De Los Santos. Two days ago, taking to his X/Twitter account, Stevenson said, “We could fight next weak ass ni**a @RyanGarcia. I’m gone. Stand in front of you all night long, I promise.” However, a user asked whether he’d be willing to fight at 140 pounds. The Newark-born southpaw replied that they could fight at a catchweight. Otherwise, Garcia will have to come down to 135 pounds.

A reporter asked Ryan Garcia about the reason behind picking Duarte for the fight. He could have gone against much easier options. ‘KingRy’ replied that he had three choices and shared those with trainer Derrick James. The award-winning trainer instead told him to select one, and Garcia picked Duarte.

The recent episode

The differences with Garcia and Golden Boy Promotions erupted in full public view after the Gervonta Davis fight. The promotions, in which Bernard Hopkins enjoys a minority stake, even filed a lawsuit against Garcia to comply with their contract agreement. Ever since, the young boxer has been harboring resentment that finally burst forth during the final press conference. He accused De La Hoya of tacitly supporting Duarte. However, the target of his grudge remains Hopkins, who, it appears, mentioned that he would be the one to determine when Garcia would retire.

Read More: Ryan Garcia’s Urgency for Gervonta Davis Rematch at 140 Might Not Play Out in His Favor As He Expects

Do you feel that Ryan Garcia is adding any value to his career with such frequent public spats? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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