Ryan Garcia’s 15-month break from the sweet science will end April 9 when the undefeated lightweight contender takes on Emmanuel Tagoe at the Alamodome in San Antonio on DAZN.
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) has not fought since his Jan. 2, 2021 knockout win against Luke Campbell because of a self-imposed break due to mental health issues as well as right hand surgery.
The proceedings since Garcia’s last fight even led stablemate Canelo Alvarez to question his dedication and commitment to the sport. Garcia has since split from Alvarez’s camp and coach Eddy Reynoso and is now training with Joe Goossen in San Diego.
The 23-year-old Garcia says his time away from boxing has only been beneficial.
“I needed to take a step back. My anxiety was building up … but I’ve already handled that. It’s all good now,” said Garcia.
“I’m hungry. I’ve always been hungry to be the best. I’m much more competitive than people realize. I like to go the extra mile. Outside of the ring, that’s really where there were issues. Me taking a break was for my own personal reasons. It’s been good because I’ve matured. You kind of learn what you need to minimize in your outside life so it doesn’t affect you inside the ring. Everybody knows, boxing is probably 85% mental. I feel good. It was a hard year to endure with all of the people talking their mess and having their opinions on me, and whatnot. I think it is going to be worth it one day. Kids look up to me. People come up to me all the time saying, ‘you saved my life.’”
Garcia can quickly quell the concerns that have come up since his last bout by convincingly beating the rugged Ghanian contender Tagboe. The bout will take place at a catchweight of 139 pounds.
Garcia says he’s fully focused on the task at hand – something he wasn’t able to do before he had to step away.
“I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I had panic attacks. I was panicking for no reason. All of that was adding up,” said Garcia.
“I felt hopeless. At times I didn’t feel like living. It was a really dark place, and I had to take a step back. I matured as a man and person. It’s allowed me to become a better person or role model. I knew that none of [my mental health issues] had to do with boxing. The fact that I am back to doing something that I love is such a relief, because when I am in there, I feel at peace. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be when I am fighting. I am calm. It’s not stressful. It took a lot for me to get here, I am so relieved. This is just the start of a dominating five years, ten years straight of me just dominating everybody. I feel that I had to get through that moment. Now I am just going to skyrocket, and destroy, destroy. I’m on a mission now. I have so much tunnel vision. This is the start of a long, long dynasty.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com.