Right now, Ryan Garcia is serving a one-year ban imposed on him by NYSAC after he tested positive for a banned substance during his fight with Devin Haney. With the suspension expected to end in April 2025, the boxing world is looking forward to his first fight after it ends. Recently, the co-owner of Golden Boy Promotions and former undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins added to the hype by revealing his desire to see Garcia face Shakur Stevenson on his return.

The idea of the fight between King Ry and the WBC Lightweight champion is quite tempting as it will be a clash of styles. But Hopkins’ dream took a huge dive when Stevenson revealed his plan that included another fight.

Shakur Stevenson is busy with the other fight

Shakur Stevenson recently suffered a hand injury that required surgery, forcing him to pull out of his scheduled WBC lightweight title defense against Joe Cordina on October 12, 2024. As a result, he is expected to return to the ring in early 2025 against another Golden Boy star, William Zepeda. However, Stevenson did not completely deny the prospect of a potential fight with Garcia, later down the line. “I’m kinda scheduled to beat his other fighter in February I would love that fight too tho 😂,” stated Stevenson in a playful tone.

Stevenson, who has been inactive since his fight against Artem Harutyunyan three months ago, hinted that his next bout is scheduled for early 2025, not aligning with a potential April showdown. Although Stevenson ruled out an April clash, he didn’t dismiss the idea of fighting Garcia altogether. In fact, he seems interested in the stylistic battle that would pit his renowned defensive skills against Garcia’s explosive offense.

Can they meet in the middle?

In the interview with FightHubTV, Hopkins revealed that Garcia will return at 143-147 lbs, a weight class he was familiarizing himself with before the suspension. He stated that he could change weight for the right fight and there is no better fight than with Stevenson at the moment.

Previously, the fight was not possible because of the different weight classes these two competed in. But with time, that gap narrowed down as Stevenson moved up to the lightweight division from super featherweight, which is a lot closer to 140 lbs.

Bernard Hopkins further stated that if Stevenson agrees Golden Boy Promotions is ready to “meet in the middle.” He claimed that these dream matches are not about weight class but rather the spectacle giving an example of the sought-out dream clash between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez. “No one talks about weight right now, you are talking about Bud Crawford wants to fight Canelo Alvarez,” stated the former two-division champion.

However, for Hopkins’ dream fight to happen, Stevenson would need to clear his schedule, and both fighters might have to agree on a catchweight. Until that happens, this potential showdown remains just a fantasy.

What do you think about Bernard Hopkins’ wish? Should Shakur Stevenson face Ryan Garica in the future? Let us know your thoughts down below.