“I’d knock him out”: Ryan Garcia wants Manny Pacquiao fight

World Boxing Council (WBC) interim lightweight champion Ryan Garcia has established himself as one of the most exciting young boxers in the world but has also found himself at the center of controversies due to his erratic behavior.

On July 4, 2024, Garcia was expelled from the WBC by president Mauricio Sulaiman after using racial slurs against Black people and making disparaging comments about Muslims during a livestream on social media.

However, the 26-year-old was soon reinstated by the WBC. While a rematch against World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Rolando Romero is potentially in the works, Garcia has his sights set on a different—and more iconic—opponent.

“I have been interested in fighting the legendary Manny Pacquiao for a while now. It’s something that you dream of. There were talks in the past of us fighting, and then it fell through. There is a history there. I am always up for the challenge. I would be lying if I said I’m not interested. If Manny wants to throw down, let’s do it,” Garcia said in a media interaction.

Pacquiao’s highly anticipated professional comeback against World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Mario Barrios ended in a controversial majority draw after 12 rounds, with two judges scoring the bout 114–114 and the third judge scoring it 115–113 in favor of Barrios.

The result meant that Barrios retained his WBC welterweight title and improved his record to 29-2-2 with 18 knockouts, while Pacquiao’s record dropped to 62-8-3.

Ryan Garcia has told The Ring that he is interested in a showdown with Manny Pacquiao 👀 pic.twitter.com/r4mwzaHwIc

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 24, 2025

The 46-year-old was not pleased with the outcome, stating that he believed he had won the bout and immediately called for a rematch.

Garcia went on to add that he is confident he would knock out Pacquiao and claimed the Filipino legend chose an easy opponent in Barrios, who is not a big name and someone Pacquiao believed he could beat.

“I’m a much different fighter than Barrios, and styles make fights. Barrios is not a big name, but Manny believed he could beat Barrios and that’s why he took the fight. Manny’s style fits perfectly into my style. I’m an extremely good counter-puncher. Pacquiao knows that, and that’s why he doesn’t usually mention me as someone he’d fight. He lunges in a lot, and he knows I have the quick left hook.”

“He’s been successful with his style, but there are chances for mistakes—and for me to connect when he comes in. I know I would present a lot of problems for Pacquiao. I would dominate him. I’d capitalize on Manny’s mistakes better than other guys. I would knock him out like Juan Manuel Marquez—no disrespect to the legend Manny, though,” he added.

Notably, Garcia lost the last time he was in the ring, falling to Rolando Romero for the vacant WBA regular welterweight title on May 3, 2025, at Times Square in New York City. The 26-year-old is eager to fight in Las Vegas, California, in front of a large crowd, and believes Pacquiao would be the perfect opponent—especially since the Filipino icon owns a gym in the city and frequently fights there.

“If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me and make big money in a huge fight, then let’s do it. If not, that’s okay with me. I can fight Rolly in a rematch—either route is okay with me,” Garcia concluded.

His hopes of facing Pacquiao could become a reality, as Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, has previously revealed that Pacquiao is eager to continue fighting and aims to face more world champions in the future.

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