'Bring it on' - Ryan Garcia calls for title fight with Rollie Romero after Oscar Duarte KO win

Ryan Garcia called for a fight with WBA champion Rollie Romero after a routine win over Oscar Duarte on Saturday night.

The fight was Garcia’s first since his defeat to Gervonta “Tank” Davis earlier in the year, the first time he had suffered a loss in his career.

The 25-year-old remains one of the biggest names in boxing, but needed to defeat Duarte in order to rebuild his career.

To that end he had been working with his new coach Derrick James after parting ways with Joe Goossen following the “Tank” defeat.

Garcia recorded a knockout victory over Duarte, moving him onto a 24-1 (20 KOs) record, allowing him to look ahead to another fight, and he named Romero.

In the build-up to the fight, he had described the WBA super lightweight champion as the best trash talker in the game, alongside Tyson Fury, so it is perhaps no surprise that he sees a lucrative clash ahead, and the chance to become a world champion for the first time in his career.

“I told everyone I’m committing to become world champion. If Rollies wants that, bring it on Rollies,” Garcia said

“I know you talk a lot, let’s get it going. Where you at, Rollies? You got beat up by that old dude [Ismael Barroso], we know what happened. Don’t be trying to fake it.”

Romero, who has also suffered defeat to Davis, beat Ismael Barroso earlier in 2023 to become champion at 140lb.

In Belfast on Saturday night, Michael Conlan suffered a defeat to Jordan Gill as the British fighter raced to a second-round stoppage victory.

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