Ryan Garcia explains Canelo Alvarez rift, was ‘confused and shocked’ when Canelo questioned work ethic
Ryan Garcia has moved on from Canelo Alvarez.
Until recently, it appeared that Garcia was being groomed for greatness by Alvarez, the four-division boxing champion that had previously served as a mentor to the 23-year-old. However, last February, Garcia parted ways with Alvarez and coach Eddy Reynoso and now trains with Joe Goossen.
The relationship between Garcia and Alvarez has been frosty since and he was asked about his reasons for changing camps during an appearance on The MMA Hour ahead of his fight with Emmanuel Tagoe this Saturday.
“It was just time to move on,” Garcia said. “There was nothing left to do in that camp so it’s time to move forward and I’m now gonna do my own thing, do great things myself, so it was just a relationship that came to an end and that’s it.”
“Everything in life plays out how it’s gonna play out and I feel great. Now if I didn’t feel great I would say that, but I feel amazing.”
Garcia has spoken publicly about dealing the mental health issues that caused him to withdraw from a pivotal bout against Javier Fortuna last July that would have decided a No. 1 contender for the WBC lightweight title. The decision also resulted in the undefeated Garcia being stripped of an interim belt.
A hand injury forced Garcia out of a subsequent bout against Joseph Diaz in November, prompting Alvarez to question Garcia’s work ethic in an interview. Garcia doesn’t think much of the criticism and insists that his training levels haven’t dropped in the slightest.
“No, I know that I’m insane, I’m a maniac from how I work and how I’ve always worked throughout my whole career,” Garcia said. “So none of that affected me. It was just kind of shocking because he knows what I was going through so there was the reasoning why I wasn’t at the gym and that’s why I decided to take a break from everything and make sure I get myself right.
“It had nothing to do with my work ethic and you’re going to see that April 9, how hard I actually work. You’ve seen my body, you’ve seen how I fight, you don’t get like that by not working hard, that’s for sure.”
Garcia still isn’t sure why Alvarez made his comments when he was aware that Garcia was taking time off for mental health reasons.
“I was more confused and shocked because I know he’s not oblivious and he understands a lot of things,” Garcia said. “So I didn’t quite understand why he would say that, but I don’t really care anymore.”
Now with Goossen — a member of the California Boxing Hall of Fame who has worked with the likes of Shane Mosley, Riddick Bowe, Joel Casamayor, and Diego Corrales among others — Garcia feels like he’s going back to his roots as he gears up for his first fight in 13 months.
“Goossen, me and him worked together before when I was 17 and when I remembered that I was like, you know what, we had a great relationship and he has an old soul too himself,” Garcia said. “He’s like an old school trainer and I like that feel to the gym. I like old music, I like to watch Sugar Ray Robinson so everything just felt good about that decision and once we started working together again it just felt like where exactly I needed to be and we work together so good.
“Our communication in the ring and outside the ring is amazing, our chemistry. You’re gonna see that all come together. I feel like this is gonna be a long relationship and there’s gonna be a lot of great moments.”