Ryan Garcia says he is “on the hunt” for a December fight, but he left Isaac Cruz out of his latest post. Cruz remains the man Ryan offered to fight after his September 19 win over Nestor Bravo. Ryan’s wording now makes it sound as though he is prepared to find somebody else if Cruz cannot meet his timetable.

“I’m trying to get this fight done for the year!!!!” Ryan posted on X. “December I’m throwing hands. Then right to May.” He wants a fight before the year ends, followed by a much bigger date in May that he hopes will bring Teofimo Lopez.

Ryan previously said an offer was on the table for Cruz and called it his last attempt to make their fight. That is a tough deadline to impose on a man who fought Bravo less than a week ago. Cruz would have to recover, prepare for Ryan’s speed and size, and move from light welterweight to welterweight in a short span. If Cruz asks for more time, Ryan can say he tried and choose another opponent. That would make for an easy social media argument, though a delay after a recent fight would hardly prove Cruz was avoiding him.

The matchup suits Ryan physically. Cruz’s pressure would give Ryan chances to catch him coming forward with the left hook, while the smaller man would need his conditioning and work rate at their best to make that pressure count. Rushing his preparation makes the proposed date a real part of the fight, not a minor contract detail.

May is no safer to pencil in. Lopez holds the WBA welterweight title, but Jack Catterall is pressing for his mandatory shot. If Teofimo fights Catterall, he risks losing the belt before Ryan gets him. If he vacates to pursue Ryan, their meeting loses its unification stakes. Teofimo has announced neither course.

Ryan has advertised a two-fight plan before securing the first opponent or knowing what the second fight would offer. December could keep him active, but a hard fight could also spoil May. Picking an easy opponent raises another question: why did Cruz get a deadline Ryan knew he might struggle to meet?

Ryan is calculating every step to protect his bottom line. He knows Isaac Cruz represents pure danger without the massive upside of a Devin Haney rematch or a Teofimo Lopez unification. If Ryan wanted Cruz in December, he would offer real terms instead of an impossible ten-week turnaround that forces Cruz to rush camp and jump weight classes. Ryan lacks the inside fighting ability and physical durability to trade in a telephone booth.

Pitbull Cruz eats punishment to land his own hooks, whereas Ryan comes unglued the second opponents get past his reach and target the body. Gervonta Davis proved Ryan folds when forced into trench warfare. Cruz took Davis the full distance on short notice and never backed up an inch. Ryan remembers that toughness, and he knows Cruz would walk through jabs all night trying to rip into his ribs.

Getting dragged into a dogfight against Cruz carries massive risk. A loss to Cruz would destroy the Cinco de Mayo payday against Teofimo and ruin any leverage for an undisputed welterweight clash with Haney. Ryan wants the public credit for calling out a dangerous puncher, but setting an unrealistic deadline gives him an easy exit.

He can publicly claim Cruz priced himself out or ran from the date, then slide a non-threatening opponent into the December slot to keep his record clean for next year. Watching Cruz dissect Bravo set off instant alarms for Ryan. Cruz brought nasty hooks, brutal infighting, and relentless head movement, looking like a miniature steamroller.

For a guy like Ryan who panics the moment someone crowds his chest, that performance was a direct reminder of what nightmare matchmaking looks like. Bringing in Angel Fierro is the exact kind of safe touch Ryan craves. Fierro already shared rounds with Ryan as a sparring partner, meaning there are zero surprises waiting for him. Ryan knows Fierro’s timing, knows his habits, and knows how to keep him at the end of his reach.

Fierro is coming off a grueling loss to Oscar Duarte, where he showed plenty of courage but took a beating. He brings zero legitimate threat of knocking Ryan out or pulling off an upset, yet he carries just enough recognition to sell to casual viewers who do not look closely at records.

Swapping Cruz for Fierro lets Ryan play the fearless warrior on social media while feeding on an obedient target. Ryan will claim Cruz ran away from the negotiations, shed crocodile tears about saving the December date for his followers, and casually slide Fierro into the ring.

It protects the massive purses waiting with Teofimo and Haney next year while giving Ryan a controlled target to showcase his hook on pay-per-view.

Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.