By Keith Idec
Ryan Garcia didn’t hesitate Saturday night when ESPN’s Steve Kim asked him which 130-pound champion he wants to fight.
The 20-year-old Garcia immediately replied, “Tevin Farmer.” The IBF super featherweight champion took notice and warned Garcia to be careful about what he asks for.
The 28-year-old Farmer, a veteran southpaw who would be by far the best opponent of Garcia’s three-year pro career, issued an ominous response Sunday through his Twitter account.
“I like Ryan Garcia a lot,” Farmer stated in a Tweet. “As a fighter and person, but he don’t want this. These fighters gotta be careful what they ask for. I may look easy looking from the outside. But inside, this sh*t is another level.”
In his second fight working with the same trainer that has guided Canelo Alvarez to superstardom, Garcia stopped Jose Lopez after the second round Saturday night at Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Indio, California. Puerto Rico’s Lopez (20-4-1, 14 KOs) declined to leave his corner for the start of the third round and their scheduled 10-rounder was abruptly halted.
Like Alvarez, Garcia is represented by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and has his fights streamed live by DAZN.
Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs), of Victorville, California, has been matched moderately since light-punching Carlos Morales buzzed him with a jab in the seventh round of their September 1 bout in Indio. He overcame Morales (17-4-3, 6 KOs) in that 10-round bout by majority decision, but his performance that night prompted Garcia to hire Eddy Reynoso, who has trained Alvarez along with his father, Jose “Chepo” Reynoso.
Making a stronger commitment to training has helped the gifted Garcia, but Farmer would represent a steep step up in competition.
Their fight is completely makeable, though, because Farmer also has a DAZN deal. Philadelphia’s Farmer (29-4-1, 6 KOs, 1 NC), who’s co-promoted by Lou DiBella and Eddie Hearn, most recently defeated Dublin’s Jono Carroll (16-1-1, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 12-round match March 15 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.