By Keith Idec

Danny Garcia gave some insight into his undying loyalty to his infamous father during a recently released Showtime segment conducted by Mark Kriegel.

Garcia even was brought to a rare display of emotion when he began crying as he discussed his father’s prison stint. During the 10-minute, 44-second segment, filmed amid a rainstorm on Atlantic City’s boardwalk, Philadelphia’s Garcia explained the trying times his family experienced while his father was imprisoned, how his father beat cancer when Garcia was a teenaged amateur star and why he won’t fight without his father in his corner.

The WBC world welterweight champion, who’ll fight WBA world welterweight champ Keith Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) on Saturday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (CBS), also explained to Kriegel why he so strongly supports his father, despite Angel Garcia’s often controversial antics.

“We needed each other,” Danny Garcia said. “Because if I would’ve never boxed, he still probably woulda been in the streets. So it was either going back to prison for him or dying. So he dedicated his life to me. He didn’t have a role model. You understand? My dad was raised into drugs and violence, so he thought that was normal. You understand? He had no one to say, ‘Hey, this is the right way. You understand?’ ”

Angel Garcia caused controversy when he repeatedly referred to Thurman as a “n*gga” and a “bitch” during the press conference to officially announce the Thurman-Garcia fight January 18 at Barclays Center. Angel Garcia and Thurman had to be separated during that incident, which caused the New York State Athletic Commission to interview Angel Garcia last week while considering his application for a trainer’s license.

Despite those recent events, Danny Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs) won’t apologize for his father’s behavior, nor will he try to change it.

“My dad changed a lot,” Danny Garcia said. “He just became the man he is today, like people know him. He just tells it how it is. He don’t hold nothing back. He’s the type of person you either love or you hate. And he’s like that every day. He’s just been through so much in life, he doesn’t care what nobody thinks about him.”

Without his father pushing him once he was released from prison, Danny Garcia doesn’t think he would’ve become a world champion. His determination also comes from the troublesome times Garcia and his family enduring during his father’s three-year imprisonment.

“I was confused,” Danny Garcia said. “I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t understand until I got older. I think that’s what motivates me every day to be the best fighter I can be. It’s just the things I’ve been through as a kid – waking up on your birthday and not even knowing it’s your birthday, not having a birthday cake. So it’s just a lot of things in life that made me who I am today.”

To watch “The Reveal” segment in its entirety, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJKU8mOhw_Q

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.