“I’m moving up to heavyweight” – Ryan Garcia challenges Anthony Joshua to a boxing battle, vowing to “beat his a**”
Ryan Garcia is full of confidence following his excellent victory over Devin Haney. In a recent live webcast on X, the 25-year-old left the boxing world perplexed when he requested a heavyweight fight versus Anthony Joshua.
During the stream, the young pugilist declared that his detractors would have no cause to hate him if he moved up to heavyweight and defeated the previous unified world heavyweight champion:
“We want ‘AJ’ though. I want ‘AJ’, I want ‘AJ’. I want to fight ‘AJ’, let’s go. I’m moving up to heavyweight. Give me about three years, I’m going to beat his a**. Hey, when I knock out ‘AJ’ what would they say then?… After that, they can’t [hate me.] “
Catch Ryan Garcia’s comments below:
Ryan Garcia calls out Anthony Joshua:
“I’m gonna beat his ass”😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/0XCFyPXlLt
— Aldonie (@Aldonie_) April 26, 2024
However, Garcia’s proposal seems to be more about bravado than actual ambition, owing to the obvious gargantuan size and weight difference between the two men.
This is far from the first time Garcia has exhibited bizarre behavior recently. During the ceremonial weigh-ins for his fight against Haney, the former WBC interim lightweight champion chugged what seemed to be a bottle after coming in 3.2 pounds over the junior welterweight limit.
Furthermore, his mental health has also been a talking point lately after ‘KingRy’ made strange claims online that he was kidnapped by members of an exclusive club called the Bohemian Grove who forced him to watch child pornography.
While it is impossible for the American to lock horns with Joshua in the future, a rematch with Haney seems highly probable for the end of the year as both men had stated their interest in running the fight back during their respective post-fight interviews.
Devin Haney wants a “fair” rematch with Ryan Garcia.
Ryan Garcia won a majority decision over Devin Haney at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, marking his best win ever. However, Haney believes that ‘King Ry’ coming in 3.2 pounds above the fight weight may have contributed to his loss.
Following the bout, the former lightweight champion issued a message on Instagram requesting a “fair” rematch against Garcia at the weight limit.
“Ryan, despite the circumstances, was victorious that night and that’s fine. I do feel like the weight played a role in it, but only Allah knows. I would love to run it back and give the fans a FAIR fight within an agreed weight.”