Ryan Garcia says next fight will come on July 4

Lightweight prospect and rising star Ryan Garcia looks like he might have a date for his next fight, as the 21-year-old announced on Instagram that he’d be back on July 4.

This would jibe with Oscar De La Hoya saying Golden Boy will return on that date, something that isn’t official but sounds like it may be confirmed soon enough.

Garcia (20-0, 17 KO) last fought on Feb. 14, headlining a DAZN card from Anaheim’s Honda Center. He knocked out Francisco Fonseca in just 80 seconds. Former multiple division titlist Jorge Linares was also on the card, stopping Carlos Morales in the fourth round.

There was a lot of talk about pitting Garcia and Linares this summer, which wasn’t a done deal. Garcia wanted it and Golden Boy seemed to want it, but Garcia trainer Eddy Reynoso repeatedly expressed hesitation to do that fight next.

Given the July 4 date won’t have fans in attendance and the travel restrictions, it’s quite unlikely it’d be Linares. The restrictions will almost certainly force Garcia to face an American, unless things are surprisingly relaxed by that time. It wouldn’t be surprising to see someone like Fidel Maldonado Jr or Ryan Kielczewski get the call — not predicting anything other than the potential level of opponent here, it’s a fairly shallow pool to choose from in this case.

But we may have a fight to look forward to, at any rate.