By: Hans Themistode
Canelo Alvarez was intrigued by the thought of having Ryan Garcia join his stable. The lightweight contender reached out to head trainer Eddy Reynoso and for the past several years, the pair have worked side by side.
So far, everything has gone exactly how Garcia was envisioning it, as he’s reeled off numerous stoppage wins. Most recently, Garcia was basking in the ambiance of the biggest win of his professional career. On January 2nd, earlier this year, Garcia picked himself up off the deck to score a stoppage win against perennial contender, Luke Campbell.
Embracing Garcia after his victory, was none other than Alvarez. Although many were expecting Garcia to use that victory as a springboard to bigger and better fights, his career has stalled. Approximately six months later, Garcia pulled out of his scheduled showdown against former multiple division titlist, Javier Fortuna, citing mental health reasons.
Garcia’s disappointing 2021 has only gotten worse as he has recently been forced to pull out of his November showdown against Joseph Diaz due to a right wrist injury. Despite Garcia consistently posting videos of himself working on his craft in the gym, Alvarez is unimpressed with the 23-year-olds work ethic.
At the age of 31, Alvarez remembers a time where fighting only one time a year was unacceptable. With Garcia stepping through the ropes just once in both 2020 and 2021, and with the lightweight contender refusing to spend most of his days in the gym, Alvarez is taken aback by the talented, yet bemusing young star.
“We always remind him as a team to come to the gym, to train, and to learn because you need to be in the gym,” said Alvarez during an interview with Complex. “You’re learning day by day, and at the very minimum, fighting five times a year. When I was beginning my career, I did 15 fights in one year. That’s where I was at the beginning of my career. So definitely, he needs to be a little more dedicated.”
Presently, Garcia is hoping that he’ll re-enter the ring during the first quarter of 2022. But, with Diaz likely to be facing off against WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney in December, Garcia will have to find himself a new dance partner.
Regardless of whom Garcia ultimately faces in his ring return, Alvarez would simply like to see the California native live up to his potential. While Alvarez admits that the talent of his current stablemate is otherworldly, talent without hard work is essentially pointless.
“Look, Ryan has a lot of talent but to me in my eyes. He’s wasting a lot of time and wasting his talent. I look at him and don’t see him 100 percent dedicated and, to us, that’s a bad signal.”
