One comeback win was all it took for Arnold Barboza to start eyeing the kings of his new division. But what he didn’t quite see coming was the reality check waiting in the wings, as fans snapped him back to earth. This comes after the 34-year-old defeated Kenneth Sims Jr. at 147 lbs on March 14, bouncing back from his 140 lbs loss to Teofimo Lopez in May last year. In the immediate aftermath of his win, he put the division on notice, calling out the likes of Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Rolando Romero, and Lewis Crocker.

“I think it was a big statement. And for me, it sent a statement specifically to like the champions Ryan Garcia, which went first on my list, Devin Haney, Rolly [Romero], and then Crocker,” Barboza repeated on Inside the Ring Show. “I want them now. My whole career, nothing was given to me. Everything was earned. I’m here for all the smoke, man. I want Ryan, [as] I said, I want Haney, you know, I want…

“They’re all busy over here fighting amongst each other like, ‘Oh contract, man… The deal will be smooth with me, bro. Just give me my deal… You can have me on the C-Side… You can announce the referee first, and then I will come. Bro, don’t even give me a walkout song.”

Despite Arnold Barboza’s desperation, he is currently absent from the top 10 rankings of The Ring and WBA, WBO, and IBF. He is currently ranked No.9 by the WBC. Meanwhile, the fighters themselves appear distracted, except for WBC champion Ryan Garcia. The Victorville native, who is Barboza’s promotional mate, has yet to find an opponent for himself, but has recently named Teofimo Lopez if the latter moves up to welterweight.

IBF champion Lewis Crocker is reportedly injured, while WBA champion Rolando Romero and WBO champion Devin Haney appear to be heading for a collision course. While Barboza doesn’t currently have a fight against the champions of the division, he was called out by Alexis Rocha, who is ranked No. 9 in the welterweight division. Still, Barboza, if given the option, wants to fight a champion.

When fans learned about it through an X post from Inside Ring Show captioned “Arnold Barboza Jr. put the whole 147 division on notice 👀,” he was promptly denied the option.

Arnold Barboza fails to make an impact on fans, calling out Ryan Garcia and others

Hearing Barboza’s callout, one fan couldn’t resist poking fun at the post’s caption. “Not much of a notice, unfortunately,” the user quipped. His one-sided loss to Teofimo Lopez at super lightweight is still fresh in fans’ minds, making his sudden leap to welterweight—and expectation of an immediate title shot—feel wildly unrealistic to most observers.

The next user had a similar idea. “No, he didn’t😂,” wrote the fan. Besides the champions, 147 is filled with terrifying opponents like Liam Paro, Brian Norman Jr., and others. Perhaps after picking up wins against them, Barboza can stake a claim for a title shot.

Meanwhile, even if Barboza lands the fights he wants, this user feels Barboza can’t win. The user posted: “He sucks, doesn’t beat any of those guys he named.” Notably, Barboza’s last outing was his first main event bout, which may have given him the confidence to compete against other top performers. 

The next user decided to impart some free advice. “All those guys are busy, bud. Unless you fight your way into a mandatory position, you’re not getting ANY of those guys. Fight Rocha and stop being a diva,” the user commented. That, however, will take some time, but Barboza wants to be fast-tracked. 

Someone else felt Barboza first needs to redeem himself. “I think him vs Teo is the fight to make at 147,” the user wrote. A rematch between them could make sense. Teofimo Lopez would be arriving at welterweight, and Barboza has just one win in the division. Lopez’s loss to Shakur Stevenson and Barboza’s prior loss to Lopez allow them to redeem themselves. 

That being said, though, what the future holds for Arnold Barboza is yet to be seen. But do you think he deserves a title shot?