SAN ANTONIO – Ryan Garcia was able to get everything he needed from his time spent under Eddy Reynoso and alongside pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. 

Now comes the next phase of his career. 

“This isn’t a new start,” Garcia told BoxingScene.com of his awaited ring return. “This is the start of something very special.”

A 15-month ring break comes to an end this weekend, as Garcia (21-0, 18KOs) is set to face fellow top lightweight contender Emmanuel Tagoe (32-1, 15KOs). Their scheduled 12-round bout above the lightweight limit (contracted maximum weight of 139 pounds) tops a DAZN telecast from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, marking Garcia’s first fight since his off-the-canvas, seventh-round knockout of England’s Luke Campbell last January in Dallas. 

Garcia’s celebrated return comes with new company in tow, as he is now trained by veteran cornerman Joe Goossen. The move was announced in mid-February, coming as a surprise that he decided to leave Reynoso’s gym in favor of setting up shop at his own facility in the greater San Diego area. 

This past training camp has included regular visits from Hall of Fame former six-division champion Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter and the founder/chairman of Golden Boy Promotions with whom Garcia enjoys a close bond. Such pop-ins weren’t quite as possible while Garcia trained in Reynoso’s facility. given the very public and bitter split between Alvarez and Golden Boy near the end of 2020.

Now training out of his own facility and under new guidance, Garcia has enjoyed peace of mind throughout this past camp. 

“It’s bringing us all together,” admitted Garcia. “Oscar is free to come to my camp. There’s no weird drama going on. That weird dynamic is gone. The two of us have gotten a lot closer since I began this last training camp. 

The growing bond between Garcia and De La Hoya is a natural fight, as the unbeaten lightweight from Victorville, California has often drawn comparisons to the Hall of Fame fighting years of ‘The Golden Boy.’ It’s equally comforting to De La Hoya, who has grown comfortable in his role as mentor to the next generation of champions and contenders under his promotional banner. 

“I give him advice. I see him in training camp. We’ve gotten close,” De La Hoya told BoxingScene.com. “He’s the next superstar in boxing. I want to make sure he hits the pinnacle and comes the very best. 

“I have pointers I like to share with all my fighters. I get to pass that down to Ryan, show him the ropes. He respects it. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a fighter like Ryan.”

The mentee wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“That’s really the way I like it. I don’t like the drama,” admitted Garcia. “I don’t like bad blood. I’m a very lovable guy. I’m a very familiar guy. I’m not really familiar with holding grudges.” 
 
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: JakeNDaBox