By admin 
After Ryan Garcia successfully defended his WBC welterweight championship Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, stopping Conor Benn by second-round TKO, he immediately turned his attention toward fellow welterweight champions Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez.
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The 28-year-old champion entered the bout looking to make a statement following his February victory over Mario Barrios, which earned him the WBC title.
Garcia did exactly that against Benn, finding his timing and dropping Benn with a clean right hand in the second round. After the knockdown, Garcia swarmed Benn and forced referee Thomas Taylor to intervene (h/t DAZN Boxing):
Garcia’s Callout And Post-Fight Commotion
Garcia wasted no time looking toward his next challenge after the biggest victory of his 2026 campaign. During his interview in the ring, Garcia called out fellow welterweight titleholders Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez (h/t Ring Magazine):
With Lopez watching from ringside, Garcia repeatedly called for the WBA champion to enter the ring before security prevented Lopez from reaching him.
“Teofimo, get that a— up here! Where you at? Unified time, where you at?” Garcia shouted. When Lopez responded, Garcia added, “You want to get crazy, we going to get crazy. I’ll beat your a— right now.”
Garcia subsequently turned his attention to Haney, who holds the WBO welterweight championship. The rivalry already has considerable history, as Garcia dropped Haney three times during their April 2024 fight and initially won by majority decision, only for the result to later be changed to a no contest after Garcia tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
“Hopefully we get to beat Devin Haney’s a— again for undisputed,” Garcia said. “F— the Haneys!”
While he called both boxers out, how does Garcia fare against them? Here are my thoughts.
Devin Haney Rematch
A rematch with Haney would present Garcia with a different tactical challenge from the one he faced against Benn and Barrios. Haney is a technically disciplined boxer who traditionally relies on distance management, a sharp jab, lateral movement, and defensive awareness.
That approach could make Haney particularly difficult to break down over 12 rounds, especially if he can use his footwork to avoid prolonged exchanges.
However, Garcia already demonstrated that his explosive power and speed can punish Haney, especially when the two are in the pocket. Watch their first fight here (via Matchroom Boxing):
Haney’s most recent performance, however, provides an important indication of how the rematch could unfold.
In November 2025, Haney moved to welterweight and defeated Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision to capture the WBO championship, winning on scorecards of 117-110, 116-111 and 114-113. It was Haney’s first official fight at the 147-pound limit.
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Watch that fight here (via Ring Magazine):
In that fight, Haney showed greater willingness to mix offense with his usual defensive approach, dropping Norman in the second round before boxing effectively for much of the remainder of the fight.
Garcia has already shown an ability to disrupt Haney’s rhythm, but Haney now enters a rematch after defeating, in my opinion, a better opponent than either Barrios or Benn.
Garcia’s power remains the obvious danger, while Haney’s ability to control range and force Garcia to reset could be the key to preventing Garcia’s power punches from landing.
Teofimo Lopez
Lopez would give Garcia a different stylistic puzzle because both fighters possess considerable hand speed, athleticism, and counter-punching ability.
Unlike Haney, Lopez is more comfortable operating behind combinations and bursts of offense, creating the possibility of a faster-paced fight in which both boxers attempt to exploit openings.
Lopez’s most recent performance came against Rolando “Rolly” Romero on Aug. 22, when he moved up to welterweight and captured the WBA title with a majority-decision victory. The judges scored the fight 116-112 and 115-113 for Lopez, with the third judge scoring it 114-114.
Here are a few highlights from that fight (h/t House of Highlights):
Lopez controlled much of the contest through a high-volume attack built around his jab, hand speed, and body punching. He also demonstrated an ability to maintain his composure after Romero briefly hurt him with a left hook in the fifth round, then returned to outwork Romero during the later rounds.
That performance was not without criticism, particularly because Romero spent long stretches waiting for opportunities to counter rather than forcing Lopez into said opportunities. Still, Lopez’s ability to consistently win rounds through activity and positioning showed why he could pose a different threat to Garcia than Haney.
For Garcia, the danger against Lopez could come from allowing the fight to become a battle of exchanges. Garcia’s speed and devastating power make him capable of ending the fight quickly, but Lopez has repeatedly shown that he can make adjustments and use his athleticism to create favorable opportunities of his own.
Garcia later made it clear that Lopez is his preferred target, saying during the post-fight press conference, “I want to unify against Teófimo. I think that’s the move. It’s a huge fight and Teó’s an entertaining dude and it’s going to be a hell of a buildup and he’s a good fighter too, so let’s run it.”
Path to Undisputed
The stakes for either fight would be enormous. Garcia owns the WBC title, Haney holds the WBO belt, and Lopez possesses the WBA belt, meaning a fight against either rival could move Garcia significantly closer to becoming the undisputed welterweight champion.
After dismantling Benn in less than two rounds, the champion now has the opportunity to turn his callout into one of the biggest fights available at 147 pounds.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 8:45 PM.