The change came via a direct exchange today with the Newark, New Jersey native. Shakur pointed to his track record of winning titles across multiple divisions as proof of the difference between them, putting the argument on performance. Ryan dismissed that point and responded with a challenge, saying both fighters started at lower weights and that Shakur should be able to move up unconditionally if he expects the fight.
“There’s no difference,” Garcia put on X, rejecting the idea that a resume should dictate the terms and instead focusing on whether Stevenson would accept a fight with no built-in limits.
The conversation had already moved through several versions before this turn. Ryan previously hovered at a catch weight of 144 pounds, while Shakur later said he would fight at 140 without a rehydration clause. That progress suggested a middle ground was forming. It also put Garcia back in a position that mirrored the structure of his loss to Gervonta Davis.
That fight was held at catchweight with a rehydration limit, limiting how much Ryan could recover before the opening bell. The stipulations were part of securing the battle, but they also defined the conditions under which he fought. This remains the clearest example of Ryan agreeing to a structure that favored the other side.
The current position removes those elements. By moving the target to 147 with no rehydration clause, Garcia takes away the mechanisms that control size on fight night. The demand does not meet Stevenson in the middle. It requires him to give up the protections that are usually part of moving up in weight.
Shakur’s position still rests on performance. He collected titles in several divisions and presented himself as the more proven fighter at higher levels. That argument carries weight in most negotiations. Ryan’s answer does not include that. He redirected the discussion to terms and whether Stevenson was willing to accept a fight without limits.
There is also a business element under the scholarship. Ryan brings a bigger audience and reach, especially on social media, while Shakur’s case is built more on results in the ring. Accepting reduced weight or additional restrictions would mean giving up both competitive ground and negotiating leverage to the less commercially established fighter, making the earlier proposals harder to justify on Garcia’s part.
The discussion didn’t end, but it changed direction. Earlier versions of the fight were built on meeting somewhere in the middle. This version is built on resistance from Ryan. He no longer offers ways to land on Shakur’s preferred numbers. He asks if Shakur will move to a number that removes those preferences entirely.
The battle is still there, but the terms are now the battle. Garcia made that clear, and until Stevenson answers on those terms, the discussion doesn’t move.
