Ryan Garcia is throwing down the gauntlet for Jake Paul.
On Saturday night, a furious Garcia took to social media to challenge Paul to a fight following Paul’s first-round knockout victory over Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico.
Okay enough, it’s on I’m going to have to do this! I’m going to end this JAKE PAUL BOXING THING. BRING IT ON JAKE IM DEAD F****** SERIOUS F*** YOU! HIT MY TEAM UP
“I can’t do this s***,” Garcia said in a follow-up voice message posted on X. “I feel so f****** bad for introducing Jake Paul to boxing. I f***** up. I can’t allow this to happen. I can’t. I can’t. He’s disrespecting my sport. He’s disrespecting everything. I just, I don’t know — call my team, Jake. F*** you.”
Okay enough, it’s on I’m going to have to do this! I’m going to end this JAKE PAUL BOXING THING.
BRING IT ON JAKE IM DEAD FUCKING SERIOUS FUCK YOU! HIT MY TEAM UP
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) March 3, 2024
Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) is a former WBC interim lightweight champion who’s scheduled to face Devin Haney in a blockbuster bout for the WBC super lightweight title on April 20. Garcia is significantly smaller than Paul — his matchup with Haney is contested at 140 pounds, whereas Paul’s win over Bourland was contested at 200 pounds — however Garcia would represent, by far, the most experienced boxing opponent Paul has fought.
Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) crushed Bourland in a rout on Saturday, stopping his overmatched foe with a barrage of punches in the closing stages of the opening round. It was Paul’s second straight victory over an opponent with notable boxing experience following his first-round knockout of Andre August in December. Afterward, Paul reiterated his desire to continue testing himself against opponents with greater boxing résumés than himself.
Could Garcia vs. Paul actually be an option next?