Crawford Roasts Garcia for Ducking Big Names Before Golden Boy Exit

Terence Crawford is not impressed with Ryan Garcia's final act under Golden Boy. Crawford took to X to rip Garcia for selecting Isaac Cruz as his December opponent despite months of talking about bigger names. "What happened to all the other people you was talking about fighting? You just be talking and putting on a show," Crawford posted.

The barb comes after Garcia chose the recently victorious Cruz, who stopped Nestor Bravo on September 19, for what will be Garcia's last fight under his Golden Boy promotional contract. Garcia had previously floated matchups with Teofimo Lopez and the winner of a proposed Devin Haney-Jack Catterall bout before settling on Cruz at 147 pounds.

The strategic logic behind Garcia's choice may be sounder than Crawford suggests. Fighting Lopez under Golden Boy would give Garcia less financial leverage than negotiating that matchup as a free agent, potentially with Zuffa Boxing on Paramount, per Boxing News 24. December is a contract obligation, not the fight Garcia is building toward.

Meanwhile, Lopez faces his own complications. WBA president Gilberto Mendoza stated in July that the winner of the Rolly Romero-Teofimo bout must face mandatory challenger Jack Catterall next. "I expect the WBA and Gilberto Mendoza to stand on business, keep their word and honour what was agreed," Catterall said publicly.

The timeline works out neatly if both sides cooperate. Garcia finishes his Golden Boy deal in December, Lopez handles the Catterall mandatory in early 2026, and a Garcia-Lopez superfight lands around Cinco de Mayo. Whether Lopez actually takes the Catterall fight or vacates the WBA title to chase the bigger payday remains the open question.