2025 has not been a kind year to Ryan Garcia. He returned from suspension earlier this year and lost his first fight back against Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, a fight that many believed was an easy win for Garcia. He has not recovered from that loss. Garcia only fought once this year. But now, it looks like his next fight might be against ‘the Problem Child’ Jake Paul. 

‘The Problem Child’ had scrapped his fight against Gervonta Davis after Davis became embroiled in a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend. Immediately, reports were stating that ‘King Ry’ was the replacement, an idea that Garcia was open to as well. However, his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, crushed any hope of the matchup, reminding everyone that Garcia fights under DAZN while Paul is signed with Netflix. Since then, Garcia hasn’t stayed silent.

Garcia claims the Jake Paul fight collapse wasn’t his fault

Earlier today, the 27-year-old boxer took to X to declare, “It is not my fault that I couldn’t fight Jake Paul.” He claimed that if the fight had gone through, he would’ve defeated Jake Paul this year and made his return to the ring by February. “I would’ve ran that with him and then have a real fight in February. I’ve been preparing myself for a while now,” he added. “All good, though those who got bad intentions never win in the end.”

Meanwhile, the YouTuber turned boxer has been linked to several potential opponents, though none have been confirmed by his promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP). It was initially expected that ‘El Gallo de Dorado’ would fight before the year’s end, but with no concrete matchup, that seems highly unlikely. However, the entire ordeal must have put a dent in MVP’s pocket, and with the Netflix payout gone, Paul wouldn’t be happy. 

As for Ryan Garcia, not boxing Paul won’t affect him as much. The former interim WBC lightweight champion is reportedly in talks to face Mario Barrios for his welterweight title. It is also a fight that his promoter fully supports. “I think that’s the perfect fight for Ryan to come back to,” said Oscar De La Hoya. With Ryan Garcia’s WBC suspension now lifted, the matchup appears more plausible than ever.

If the fight does happen, the question remains: can Ryan Garcia bounce back from his recent loss?

Timothy Bradley predicts Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios

Former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley has shared his thoughts on the potential Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios fight. Speaking to FightHype, Bradley explained, “He [Garcia] is going to need a better performance [than last time out], because if he brings that type of performance into the ring with Barrios, Barrios is going to eat him up. It is going to be easy work.”

Bradley also questioned Garcia’s ability to handle pressure, saying, “I notice one thing about Garcia; he doesn’t like power.” He added that while Garcia’s left hook could be dangerous, Barrios’ experience and fundamentals could make the difference. “It’s not a foregone conclusion that Garcia is going to just walk through a guy like Barrios,” Bradley said. “Right now, I favour Barrios… he’s got a good jab, good fundamentals, good boxing IQ.”

Having said that, Ryan Garcia will have to prove that he is still an elite name in boxing. He might have missed out on a big payday, but beating Barrios will add to his legacy. But do you think he can?