Leonardo Mosquea kicked off his 2025 campaign with a ninth-round stoppage win over Argentina's Ivan Gabriel Garcia (10-4-1, 10 KOs) on Thursday night, clinching the vacant WBA regional title in Lyon, where the 31-year-old resides.

The Ring's No. 9-ranked cruiserweight (17-0, 10 KOs) dropped Garcia in round two and ultimately boxed him into submission, scoring his first victory inside the distance since November 2023, where he finished Viktor Trush to win the EBU Silver title.

Mosquea, ranked No. 3 by the WBA, won the sanctioning body's vacant Ibero-American title and there's now an expectation he'll be moved into a world title eliminator against compatriot and former world champion Arsen Goulamirian (27-1, 19 KOs) as Gilberto Ramirez satisfies his mandatory defence with Yuniel Dorticos this month.

Goulamirian, 35, hasn't boxed since losing a wide 12-round decision to Zurdo in March 2024 and was linked to a bout with former title challenger Callum Johnson (23-1, 15 KOs) on Janibek Alimkhanuly's Astana homecoming on April 5.

Johnson told BoxingScene the Armenian-born Frenchman, who resides in California, withdrew two or three weeks after contracts were signed saying he wouldn't be ready in time and there's been no update on his return timeline since.

Mosquea, whose profile grew exponentially after a 12-round split decision win over then-unbeaten Cheavon Clarke for the EBU cruiserweight title in Monte-Carlo on December 15, vacated the strap after being ordered to face former world title challenger Mateusz Masternak (49-6, 32 KOs) next.

Masternak is slated to face Jack Massey (22-3, 12 KOs) for the vacant title, a year after the Cheshire resident outpointed Isaac Chamberlain on short-notice to claim the belt at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park football stadium in south London, England.

He relinquished that strap when offered a surprise world title opportunity against IBF/RING champion Jai Opetaia in Saudi Arabia, ultimately proving a one-sided championship defence for the Australian en route to a sixth-round stoppage in October 2024.