Ryan Garcia will make his return to the ring following his loss to WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta Davis on April 22nd. This information came to light through Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya in an interview with ESPN. Oscar Duarte has been chosen as Garcia’s next opponent, and the fight is set to take place at super lightweight (140 lbs) at the Alamodome in San Antonio on December 2nd.
The fight will feature Ryan Garcia (23-1, 19 KO’s) facing an up-and-coming contender at 140 lbs and fellow American, Oscar Duarte (26-1-1, 21 KO’s).
Garcia will also return under a new coach, Derrick James, whom he joined approximately a month after losing to Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KO’s) on April 22nd. The 25-year-old American will also be returning to his now-natural weight of 140 lbs following his match with Davis, which took place at 135 lbs.
Prior to facing Davis, Ryan Garcia had already fought twice at super lightweight, against Emmanuel Tagoe (32-2, 15 KO’s) and Javier Fortuna (38-4-1, 27 KO’s).
Notably, like the two aforementioned fighters, Oscar Duarte will be moving up a weight class from lightweight. This continues a trend in which all of Ryan Garcia’s opponents at 140 lbs are moving up from lightweight to fight him.
The super lightweight division is abundant with fighters who are accustomed to fighting in that weight class. Moreover, the division is packed with American talent that has decent notoriety in the sport, making it an entertaining and profitable match-up for Garcia. Fighters who have proven themselves to be good but are not yet considered top contenders, such as Montana Love (18-1-1, 9 KO’s), Kenneth Sims Jr. (20-2-1, 7 KO’s), and Brandun Lee (28-0, 23 KO’s), are overlooked in favor of a lightweight in Oscar Duarte.
While it’s understandable that Ryan Garcia would test himself against an easier opponent after his stoppage loss to Gervonta Davis, it doesn’t bode well for his career if he intends to make a mark in the super lightweight division by facing lightweights who have moved up.
Considering the talent available at 140 lbs, Ryan Garcia should be in a position to test himself against decent (and natural) super lightweights, as he has already had two fights at that weight.
Oscar Duarte still presents a threat, given his high KO rate of 80%, which nearly matches Garcia’s own KO rate of 83%. Duarte’s KO percentage is also highlighted by the eleven KO streak he has been on since his 2019 split-decision loss to former Mexican welterweight contender Adrian Estrella.
However, given that Ryan Garcia fought at lightweight earlier this year, his choice of opponent might be excused in this case.
If Garcia hopes to become a legitimate world title contender in the division, he will need to upgrade his opponents to super lightweight to fully adapt to the pace and flow of the 140 lbs division. Otherwise, he may risk another loss due to being unprepared to face a natural and talented super lightweight champion or contender.
