Undefeated lightweight contender Ryan “KingRy” Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) is spending his time in isolation like many of the world’s population due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The 21-year-old California native is coming off two back to back sensational first round knockouts of Romero Duno and Francisco Fonseca.
The ambitious Garcia is eager to become a world champion and told Fight Hype that once he becomes a world champion at lightweight he feels in 2021 he would be able to challenge his boxing idol the 41-year-old ring legend Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao to a passing of the torch fight.
“I love Pacquiao, he is one of my inspirations,” Garcia told Fight Hype. “He is what I aspire to be in the ring, you know like Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao. It’s just Manny Pacquiao is so humble, like I’d have to get like that at an older age. Right now I’m so hyped up. I wanna prove myself, I’m hungry. That’s going to be later down the line to be like that. I just don’t have that in me right now, I’m too hungry. But I respect that he is that kinda man. He is a Godly man and I’m a Godly man and we go to the same church.”
The young Garcia believes a fight with his boyhood hero Manny Pacquiao would be a true passing of the torch fight, and he even suggested Pacquiao is a real legend because of what he did beyond boxing, and that he is the only young fighter now who can carry the torch.
“It’s a passing of the torch,” said Garcia. “He was a legend, the real legend. Floyd [Mayweather] was a legend of course in boxing but he had a chance to inspire kids but he did it in a different way, I guess with the money and everything. But I’m looking to do stuff beyond boxing. Manny Pacquiao did something beyond boxing. Floyd only did boxing. So I feel Manny Pacquiao needs to pass that torch to me.
“I’m the only fighter he can pass that, there is nobody else. They only come once in a while and I thank God that God put me in this position. You see me, I got the kids watching me. I got the grown people watching me. I got everybody watching. I go the world watching me. There is not one fighter like me and is that for no reason? No. But it’s my job to keep working and keep taking advantage of it. I’m not letting it slip. I’m not gonna let my purpose slip. Nobodies gonna get in my way on that. I always Thank God, because he blessed me.”
A Ryan Garcia vs. Manny Pacquiao fight is a long shot. It wouldn’t benefit Pacquiao to fight a young up and comer who is tied to Golden Boy promotions, while he is with Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions.
As of now it’s just a personal dream fight for Garcia and wouldn’t be a realistic fight for Pacquiao who is looking to retire from boxing soon.
