Elijah Garcia, a 21-year-old middleweight contender, is moving his training camp from Arizona to Las Vegas under the guidance of veteran trainer Bob Santos.
After his split-decision upset loss to Kyrone Davis in June on the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin undercard, the move marks the next step forward in his career.
George Garcia Jnr, Elijah's father, previously led his 16-1 (13 KOs) son’s camps and will remain involved. Santos now adds his experience to the corner, offering insights he once shared with former titleholder Robert Guerrero, who, according to Santos, shares similarities in mentality and determination with Garcia. Garcia believes Santos’ involvement strengthens his corner.
“His style and my style add up really good,” Garcia told BoxingScene. “He brings the experience to the corner that I didn’t have. There’s no style change; we’re just adding to it.”
Reflecting on his loss to Davis, Garcia remains confident. “If you’re off the hype train, stay off, because we’re coming to win titles,” Garcia said. “I really hope people look at my last fight and they think I'm as bad as they think I am, because that was not me, and adding Bob to the corner is going to make me 100 times better. We're going to take over the 160 division, no two ways about it, that is what Bob says.”
Santos sees Guerrero in Garcia’s determination, especially given Garcia’s willingness to take on tough fights at a young age.
“They have the same mentality,” Santos told BoxingScene of Garcia. “Elijah’s already been in solid fights for someone only 21. Robert Guerrero did the same thing early on. And that’s why Elijah reminds me a lot of Robert Guerrero. I think there’s a lot of that I can bring to the table to help him reach that next level.”
Santos, experienced with father-son partnerships from his time with Guerrero and current WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios, sees Garcia’s dedication as a positive sign. “The majority of his career was done in Arizona, where he’s from,” Santos said. “You can't buy experience. Fortunately, I've been at a championship level for a long, long time, and I think I can use that experience to help guide the corner.”
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