WBC interim champion Ryan Garcia said it would be a dream to fight retired midfielder Manny Pacquiao at some point in his career.
Ryan Garcia dreams of a fight with retired fighter Manny Pacquiao.
The California are coming off the back of their toughest fight yet, when they beat Luke Campbell with a brutal bodily blow despite being knocked down for the first time in his career.
His win earned him a mandatory title bullet by WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney, but he has talked to Gervonta Davis after his victory, even going so far as to agree to fight with him on Mike Tyson’s boxing podcast.
Speaking to ES News, Garcia suggested that he would eventually like to accept the Filipino senator Pacquiao, who is currently considering a return to the ring against Conor McGregor, among other options.
Commenting on the 42-year-old legend, Garcia said: “That’s the dream. Manny is a myth and it would be as if he’s going over it in the most humble way. that this feels like I disrespect him, Manny knows my respect for him
“People love him because he fights with his heart. You don’t even have to tell people to respect him, because more than one whole country supports him.”
Pacquiao seems to have enjoyed his biggest success at welterweight but has fought at lightweight before, against Oscar De La Hoya. Since Garcia could move up to welterweight or young welterweight in the years to come, a fight could ensue.
Pacquiao last fought in July 2919 when he defeated Keith Thurman for the WBA welterweight title and has since focused on his political career. He is said to return to action in 2021 when his schedule allows, with McGregor and possibly Errol Spence under consideration as his next opponent.