Garcia made the claim while speaking on a podcast, pointing to his previous performances against top opponents.
“I’ve beaten a slick fighter, Devin Haney, who’s taller, stronger and faster than Shakur,” Ryan told Creators Think Podcast.
“Shakur is better defensively, but he’s never faced a guy as quick and with timing as me. It won’t be a hard fight.”
Ryan Garcia has the physical tools in this matchup, but Shakur Stevenson has the system. To beat Shakur, a fighter must be able to reset his “computer,” and so far no one has found the “Alt+Delete” key for Shakur’s brain.
Moving up to 147 filled Ryan. He is now the naturally bigger man. In a clinch or a phone booth deal, Ryan’s physical strength at welterweight can bully a Shakur who is still acclimating to the higher weights.
Shakur became a four-weight world champion in January after defeating Teofimo Lopez for the WBO super lightweight title in New York. The undefeated American previously held titles in featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.
Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) won the WBC welterweight title with a win over Mario Barrios in February and has been linked to a potential fight with Stevenson in recent weeks.
While Ryan talks a fight with Shakur, his actions point to a different path. Negotiations for a Stevenson-Garcia bout at 140 pounds recently stalled over a rehydration clause dispute. Instead, Ryan turned to a possible July 2026 date with Teofimo Lopez, the very man Stevenson had just demolished last January.
Shakur (25-0, 11 KOs) is the king of “hitting and not getting hit.” He fights at a distance that makes Ryan’s left hook, his most dangerous weapon, nearly impossible to land cleanly.
