Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz has called out Ryan Garcia, and Garcia has responded by putting a potential December showdown on the table.
Cruz made the challenge immediately after his sixth-round knockout victory over Nestor Bravo on Saturday in San Diego. After retaining his interim WBC super-lightweight title, the Mexican contender made it clear that Garcia is the opponent he wants next.
“Hey Ryan, I’m here. My next fight for you. Come on Ryan. Come on,” Cruz said after the victory.
Garcia did not take long to respond.
“Let’s do this in December, the offer is on the table,” Garcia wrote on social media. “I can tame a lion. I’m not too concerned about taming a Pitbull.”
The response comes shortly after Garcia successfully defended his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn. Garcia stopped Benn in the second round on September 12 in Las Vegas, giving him another significant victory at 147 pounds.
Cruz, meanwhile, enters the conversation following an important win of his own. He stopped Bravo in the sixth round to retain his interim WBC title at 140 pounds. The victory moved him into position to publicly pursue a matchup with Garcia.
The proposed fight would also involve a move between weight classes. Cruz currently holds the interim WBC title at super lightweight, while Garcia is competing at welterweight. A Garcia-Cruz bout would therefore require Cruz to move up to 147 pounds if the fight takes place at Garcia’s current weight.
There is also some history between the two fighters. Garcia has previously said that he tried to make a fight with Cruz on multiple occasions. According to Garcia, Cruz turned down previous opportunities, including when Cruz was his mandatory challenger. Garcia has now indicated that he does not intend to continue pursuing the matchup if this opportunity is rejected.
For Cruz, the callout represents a chance to step into a major matchup following his latest title victory. For Garcia, it would provide another opportunity to remain active after his recent win over Benn.
However, the fight is not officially announced yet. Garcia has stated that an offer is on the table and has publicly proposed December, but no specific date, venue, or finalized agreement has been confirmed in the reports.
The next step will be whether Cruz and his team accept the proposed opportunity and whether the two sides can finalize the terms. For now, the message from Garcia is clear: he is willing to make Ryan Garcia vs. Pitbull Cruz happen in December.
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