Ryan Garcia is a popular figure in the boxing world and has used his massive social media following to grow his presence. This made a new generation of fans interested in boxing.
The 25-year-old boxer-puncher faced Gervonta Davis in a full-fledged superfight in April 2023. The PPV extravaganza generated a lot of buzz on social media and was a huge financial success. Unfortunately, Garcia lost by seventh-round KO, but bounced back with an overtime victory over Oscar Duarte in December.
On April 20th, Garcia will face WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. If Garcia wins, it will be his first gold medal, but he will enter the ring as a big underdog against his former amateur rival. 'Kingry' is undaunted and confident of proving his doubters wrong at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
WATCH: Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia live on DAZN
Despite being from the United States, Garcia is very proud of his family's heritage. Sporting News is investigating Garcia's history, from his family to his relationships with former coaches.
Where is Ryan Garcia from?
Garcia entered the ring holding American and Mexican flags. Although he was born in California, his ancestry is Mexican, although his parents were born in the United States. Garcia himself does not speak Spanish.
“That's the key. In order to know where you're going, you have to know where you came from,” Garcia told Interview Magazine about representing the United States and Mexico.
According to Marca, Ryan's father, Henry Garcia, has family from Anahuac, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His mother, Lisa, had family living in New Mexico when the state was still part of Mexico.
“We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us. In New Mexico, we always say this is Mexico,” Lisa said at No Puedes Jugal Boxeo. . Spain. “
More: History of Ryan Garcia's recent tweets leading up to the Devin Haney fight
Does Canelo Alvarez support Ryan Garcia?
Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia were teammates in 2018 and worked together with coach Eddie Reynoso. They seemed inseparable. A feud arose in 2021, and Garcia defected to trainer Joe Goossen.
Garcia had just scored the biggest win of his career over Luke Campbell. He was ready for a big fight until he lost two. The fight against Javier Fortuna was canceled due to mental health issues, and the fight against Joseph Diaz was canceled due to a hand injury.
“Look, Ryan has a lot of talent. But in my eyes, he wastes a lot of time and wastes talent. It doesn’t look like he’s % committed and that’s a bad sign for us,” Canelo told Complex. “As a team, we always tell him to come to the gym, train and learn, because he needs to be in the gym. He has to fight at least five times a year and learn every day. There will be.
“When I started my career, we played 15 games a year. That was the beginning of my career. So definitely he needs to be a little more dedicated.”
More information: Cheapest seats to watch Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia
Canelo told Sporting News that he offered these comments as constructive criticism. Garcia said Canelo didn't know the truth, but he left the team because he didn't think Reynoso could be “100 percent committed” to him.
There was no reconciliation between Garcia and Canelo, but Garcia told Boxing Scene that he was “tired” of Canelo questioning his work ethic. However, any issues between the two sides appear to have subsided.
Along with Garcia's questionable promotional strategy for the Haney fight, there have also been some concerning messages on social media. Many people have expressed concerns, including Canelo.
“As his friend or like we used to train together, I don't want him to fight,” Alvarez told DAZN via Boxing Scene. The only thing I hope for right now is that he has someone to help him because he needs it – I don't know what's going on with him, but I hope he has someone. ”
A few days later, Garcia posted an old photo with Canelo and thanked him with the caption, “No amount of hate can separate our Mexican bonds.” Canelo said, “Just stay focused and get the win. You know we love you, kid.”
