Ryan Garcia calls prospective foe Manny Pacquiao his 'hero'

A fighter doesn’t often get the opportunity to fight his “hero.” So Ryan Garcia couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

The lightweight contender and social media star is in negotiations to fight iconic welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao this spring, either in a sanctioned bout or an exhibition. The boxing world is waiting for an announcement.

Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) had been targeting fellow 135-pounder but shifted when it became apparent that Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) was a potential opponent.

“You get a call and somebody says, ‘You can fight Manny Pacquiao.’ What are you going to say to that?” Garcia told ESPN. “Your hero, one of your heroes, one of the people you’ve looked up to, and they say you have an opportunity to fight him? I couldn’t say no. I said let’s go for it.

“Whether it happens or not, I’m going full in on it. And that’s what I did. … I was like, ‘OK, I can’t worry about any other fight. I’m going to go after Manny Pacquiao.’ And that’s what’s happening next.”

Garcia went on to discuss a several subjects related to the prospective matchup. Here are some of them:

Real fight or exhibition?

“The fight is going to be a fight. Whether they named it an exhibition or a real certified match, I’m throwing punches like I’m trying to knock Manny Pacquiao out. If you get two people in the ring with 8- or 10-ounce gloves with no headgear, you tell me if that would be an exhibition or a real fight, knowing that we’re both real fighters.

“I’m not going in there to throw pillow punches. I’m throwing the punches I throw and I’m sure Manny will throw the punches he throws. You guys can call it whatever you want.”

Weight difference

“We’re still talking about . That could be worked around very easily. Whatever Manny wants for the weight to be at, I can do it. I’m a big boy. I’m not a small 135; I’m a pretty big 135. If I have to gain weight, I will.”

On when he became a fan of Pacquiao

“I was just young and just remember seeing him battering, also my hero , Oscar De La Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao was just obliterating him. I was like, ‘Oscar, throw some punches, please!’ And from there I became a Manny Pacquiao fan. Manny was going from a little weight class to a higher weight class, and when they tell me, ‘Ryan, how you can go from 135 to 147?’ What did Manny do when he fought Oscar? He went 135 to 140-something. It’s the same thing, but this time, I’m going to take the torch from Manny.”

Magnitude of the matchup

“This fight will break records. People are underestimating how powerful this social media era is, and this fight will destroy records.”