Watch: Ryan Garcia goes against NBA star Damian Lillard
Ryan Garcia recently squared off against Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard in a commercial.
'KingRy' is red-hot off of his win over Emmanuel Tagoe earlier this month. After over a year out of the ring, he returned to demolish 'The Gameboy' via unanimous decision.
The 23-year-old is already one of the biggest stars in the sport and his star power surely rose after his win over Tagoe. Now, just weeks after his latest victory, he's been tasked with appearing in a Gatorade commercial.
Alongside the young phenom boxer is Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. The advertisement shows both the stars trading hands in the ring, while also showing them training together. It's pretty clear that the two men aren't going too hard on each other, but it's still a well-produced piece.
Garcia's YouTube channel has now posted a behind-the-scenes video of the commercial. While not a trained boxer, Lillard clearly put in some work to try and look good against the former WBC Interim Lightweight Champion.
Watch Ryan Garcia spar with Damian Lillard below:
Ryan Garcia takes aim at Isaac Cruz
While Ryan Garcia may have "fought" Damian Lillard in the boxing ring for a commercial, he's seemingly preparing for his next opponent already.
In the build-up to his fight with Tagoe, 'KingRy' was in a war of words with Isaac Cruz. While it initially seemed that the two lightweight contenders would square off, they instead faced different opponents. While Garcia defeated Tagoe, 'Pitbull' dispatched Yuriorkis Gamboa last Saturday.
With both men now being open for a bout, Cruz called Garcia out following his victory, saying that the star "needs" the fight. The former Interim Lightweight Champion responded on Twitter, opining that his foe's team is delusional if they think he needs the fight.
Garcia said:
"I absolutely understand he wants to continue his momentum and build his career, but if he thinks I need him, he’s delusional or his team, I’ve made great money and Im extremely happy, this is what a lot of fans wanted!"
I absolutely understand he wants to continue his momentum and build his career, but if he thinks I need him, he’s delusional or his team, I’ve made great money and Im extremely happy, this is what a lot of fans wanted!
While it remains to be seen if Garcia and Cruz will face off, it surely has the makings of a great fight if they indeed do so. Fans can expect news of a potential matchup between the two in the months to come.