Ryan Garcia will take on WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney on Saturday, April 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and many avid social media fans will be watching.
When we look back on boxing during the birth of social media, Garcia will be a part of that chapter. In the post-Floyd Mayweather era, Garcia picked up the ball and took it directly to the consumer. What frustrates older martial arts fans is that the things that matter to them, like titles and accomplishments, seem to take a backseat to the millions of followers Garcia has amassed.
In episode 2 of DAZN Boxing's 40 Days: Two Different Paths to Superstardom, Garcia spoke about his path to becoming boxing's most viral fighter.
“For me, I discovered a blueprint,” Garcia said. “You make a video, it goes viral, and then you fight and win and it goes even more viral.”
“Viral” is a term that originates from social media platforms. This refers to clips being shared by users of social media platforms, not just content creators. Going viral is thought of as the rapid spread of popularity on the internet through multiple social media platforms. The thing about influencers like Garcia is that they go viral over and over again.
Few, if any, other boxers in the past decade can claim Garcia's indentation on social media.
“I went of “I've been a boxer on Instagram for a long time,” Garcia said. “Now people are starting to realize that this guy is a strong figure, not just in boxing, but in pop culture as well.”
Garcia, 25, believes he has a reputation that goes beyond boxing and has a larger following than some of the biggest names. Although his influence is enormous, he is not without pitfalls and pressures. In the lead-up to his fight with Haney, 25, Garcia has been interacting with fans and influencers on various social platforms.
Now, everyone is wondering how Garcia will fight this night. Garcia talked a little about the burden of fame, explaining, “It's a lot of pressure and it's kind of overwhelming at times.”
