Ryan Garcia didn't mince words, speaking about Rolando "Rolly" Romero during his post-fight interview after defeating Oscar Duarte by eighth-round knockout Saturday night in Houston, Texas, and live on DAZN.
But the stinging words that "King Ry" slung toward the WBA junior welterweight world champion offered just a glimpse toward who could be the 25-year-old's next opponent.
With a big victory to get back on track and close out his 2023 with a bang, Garcia has plenty of options for 2024. DAZN looks at four fight possibilities for Garcia in the New Year.
Rolando "Rolly" Romero
Fresh off his big win Saturday night, Garcia called out Romero for a crack at the WBA junior welterweight world title, mocking the champ for his performance against a 40-year-old Ismael Barroso in the process.
Just imagine how entertaining the buildup would be between Garcia and Romero, press conference to press conference with social media jabs in between.
Both Romero and now Garcia responded to crushing knockout losses to Gervonta Davis with resurrecting wins.
It'd be only right for them to focus their attentions on each other in what would be an intriguing clash and one that would give Garcia the opportunity to become a world champion.
Devin Haney
Romero wasn't the only notable name that Garcia brought up Saturday night. While he might want to defeat "Rolly" first, Garcia did express a desire to also fight Devin Haney in the near future.
Haney will challenge for Regis Prograis' WBC junior welterweight world title December 9 live on DAZN pay-per-view. Garcia and Haney are far from strangers.
The two have exchanged verbal jabs before and have mutually expressed the desire to fight though such a bout hasn't come to fruition.
Well, if Garcia makes good on defeating Romero first and Haney goes on to get past Prograis, perhaps Garcia and Haney could be with a unified 140-pound world championship at stake.
Teofimo Lopez
Garcia also mentioned WBO junior welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez as a possible opponent in the near future. Lopez reportedly declined an offer to fight Garcia .
And that should have "King Ry" feeling spurned by "The Takeover" to the point where he could keep lobbying for a high-stakes fight with Lopez en route to it actually happening.
Shakur Stevenson
Just last week, Stevenson, the newly-crowned WBC lightweight world champion, boasted how he'd outclass Garcia if the two ever fought .
"We could fight next week," Stevenson said in a post aimed at Garcia on X.
"I'm gone stand in front of u all night long, I promise."
Stevenson even provided Garcia with a couple of routes to take in effort to make the fight happen.
The Newark, New Jersey product said that they could fight at a catchweight or that Garcia could come down to 135 pounds and vie for Stevenson's title there.
Hearing all of this, especially Stevenson's assertion about standing in front of Garcia "all night long," should give "King Ry" a royal chip on his shoulder to prove Stevenson wrong if such a fight would ever materialize.