“You know who I want. He’s right there. Shakur Stevenson. Let’s go. Let’s run it,” Garcia said in the ring.
Stevenson appeared on the broadcast earlier and claimed he was “levels above” Garcia. When it was relayed to him, Garcia didn’t hesitate.
“The thing is like you have to have some kind of punch to get me off you because it’s going to be a different style and I’m not going to hit him lightly,” Garcia said. “Every time I get — boom — I get put on him. You know I want that fight. Shakur, let’s get it.”
Garcia also pushed back on the idea that he only relies on his left hook. He dropped Barrios with a right hand in the first round and said that striking was a big factor in the win.
“It wasn’t just a left hook. You guys kept saying left hook. I see my right hand working tonight,” he said.
Even in victory, Garcia admitted he wanted more of himself.
“I should have got the knockout to be honest. I have to rate myself on that,” he said.
The Barrios fight gave Garcia his first full world title, but his attention had already shifted. Calling out Stevenson right away, Garcia made it clear that he sees a high-skill fight as the next step rather than a routine defense. Whether the match comes together will depend on negotiations, but Garcia publicly set the direction before leaving the ring.
