Ryan Garcia Set To Face Oscar Duarte On December 2nd
Ryan Garcia’s next opponent has been confirmed as Oscar Duarte on December 2nd, 2023.
The news marks what will be Garcia’s first fight at junior welterweight under the tutelage of his new trainer, Derrick James. Garcia suffered the first loss of his career against Gervonta Davis in his last fight, which marked the change of trainers from Joe Goossen and the decision to move up to 140 pounds. Standing in his way will be Duarte. The former has stopped his last 11 opponents, showing that he will be no pushover. And Oscar De La Hoya expects him to provide a stern test to mark Garcia’s introduction to the junior welterweight division.
Ryan Garcia will return in a junior welterweight bout vs. Oscar Duarte on Dec. 2 at San Antonio’s Alamodome, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.
The fight will be streamed on DAZN, and it comes one week before Devin Haney fights Regis Prograis on DAZN PPV. pic.twitter.com/1wAxUTnkkr
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 2, 2023
“Here you have a guy [Duarte] who’s coming off 11 KOs in a row. There’s a guy who’s a power puncher who’s going to come forward and make Ryan fight. It’s the proper fight after a knockout loss to Gervonta,” De La Hoya stated
A win for Garcia will be vital following question marks over his defensive skills, which were exploited during the Davis fight. And since James is known for working on boxing fundamentals, there is an anticipation to see his change of style. A win for Garcia will also boost his chances of getting a title shot, as King Ryan’s commercial pulling power makes him a draw for any opponent.