CALABASAS, California – To reflect on what Ryan Garcia has gone through and where he stands generates one word from the WBC welterweight champion.
As Garcia, 25-2 (20 KOs), concludes preparations for his September 12 first title defense versus England’s Conor Benn, 25-1 (14 KOs), at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Paramount+ (in the U.S.) and DAZN (elsewhere globally), taking stock of the journey revealed all that’s before a 28-year-old perceived to be in his prime.
Headlining the glamour Mexican Independence weekend card, the favored Garcia is poised for lucrative unifications, should he get past Benn, against both two-division champion Teofimo Lopez and his nemesis and WBO champion Devin Haney.
Within the last three-plus years, Southern California’s Garcia has suffered a stoppage loss to former lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis, a PED positive that transformed his three-knockdown points victory over Haney to a no-contest and a defeat to former two-division champion Rolly Romero last year.
“It was my passion for all elements of the sport, from entertaining – creating content to being a great fighter – you’ve got to be able to do it all in this day,” Garcia told BoxingScene at his media day workout. “You’ve got to [want] to be the best at everything you do. If not, you’re going to be falling behind the wheel.”
As Davis is sidelined with domestic-violence legal issues, as Haney has remained out of the ring while being slow to choose an opponent, and as Lopez and Romero have lost this year, it’s Garcia who’s positioned to assert himself at welterweight.
Garcia advisor Guadalupe Valencia said, “Everybody knows Ryan’s had some tough times in his career. We’ve all stuck with it. We believed in him, he believed in himself, and I always knew he would get out of these situations, one way or another.
“He’s probably in his best space in a long time. Success creates success, and he’s enjoying it.”
Valencia said Garcia will emphasize pursuing the biggest fights possible as he moves to free agency.
“He’s going to make all the decisions like all the great fighters did,” Valencia said. “I know Ryan’s spirit, and he’s going to always pick the toughest fights.”
Whether Garcia even requires a promoter after spending so many years with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions is uncertain.
“I’m like [Floyd] Mayweather in the sense I still want to put big names in front of me,” Garcia said. “I don’t want to fight names where people say, ‘Oh, who’s he fighting?’ I don’t want to say [new WBC super-middleweight champion Christian] Mbilli falls in that category, but he’s not a name to be fighting [former Mexican Independence weekend placeholder] Canelo [Alvarez]. I feel Canelo could’ve fought a bigger name.
“More thought into the opponent gathers more excitement.”
Garcia said the “process” of elite professional prize fighting “led me to this moment where I understand what I have to be, and enlightened me to be a way better athlete.
“There’s always a passing of the guard, and somebody has to be the successor.”
Garcia’s father and trainer, Henry Garcia, said his son’s speed and power trump all in the division.
“I don’t see a middleweight who could deal with his speed and power – it’s something you can’t train,” Henry Garcia said.
“I’m very proud of how he’s bounced back. People don’t understand what boxers go through mentally. Every boxer goes through things. It’s about, ‘Can you overcome it?’”
