By Kenneth Friedman: Ryan Garcia sees Floyd Mayweather Jr. as someone that is “mad” and wants to hold him back. Ryan says Mayweather knew who he was when he was trying to sign him to his promotional company.
Instead of signing with Mayweather Promotions, the lightweight Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) inked with Golden Boy Promotions, the same company that promotes superstar Canelo Alvarez.
Ryan says he wants to fight lightweight champions Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis. Once he does that, he’ll get toe show the fans if he’s the next Oscar Dela Hoya or not.
Earlier this week, Ryan revealed that he rated Manny Pacquiao as having a better legacy than Mayweather and that he didn’t want to be like him. Shortly after that, Mayweather gave an interview and criticized Ryan, saying that he was ducking his fighter Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
Ryan Garcia: ‘Poor Mayweather, he’s mad’
“I want to say one thing about Floyd. You did know who I was when you were trying to sign me,” said Ryan Garcia on social media. “I’m not really mad at anybody. Nobody wants to give me respect. They want to bring me down and hold me back, but you’re not going to hold me back.
“I am determined, and I am the best fighter. I know none of them wants to believe it, and I know they want to discredit me. They want to discredit me when I fought the same opponent that they fought and beat him.
“I fought the same fighters that they fought. I did it faster and better, and all that. But they still don’t want to give me my credit. That’s OK. I’m going to have to fight for my respect always.
“I’m just the same determined kid from Victorville, the one that they’re trying to hold me back and bring my spirit down, but my spirit is strong. Poor Mayweather. He’s really mad. All these guys are really mad. I really don’t understand why they’re so mad, though,” said Ryan.
It doesn’t look like Ryan is going to do Mayweather any favors by fighting his guy Rolando ‘Rollie’ Romero. We’ll see who gets the last laugh. If the 21-year-old Ryan becomes a massive star and wins multiple world titles during his career, then he’ll prove himself to Mayweather and show that he’s for real.
Garcia didn’t plan on becoming an Internet star
“Don’t be mad that I’m coming up. Don’t be mad,” said Ryan Garcia. “I don’t understand why are they so mad. I’m trying to figure it out. Their favorite thing to say is, ‘Internet star.’
“Honestly, I was just boxing. I became big on social media. But I was the same as them. I was just boxing and chasing a dream, and then I got big on the Internet. I kept winning and getting bigger, but I said I didn’t want to be a big social media star. It just happened. It’s not really a planned thing.
“I know if they were in the same position, they’d be the most talker. They talk about me not being humble. Man, these guys wouldn’t know what to do with it. They would not know what to do with it, but it’s all good,” said Ryan Garcia.
Being a successful professional fighter and posting a lot on social media has turned Ryan into a social media star without putting a lot of effort into it. You’ve got the Youtube stars that work hard with it every day. Ryan is a lot more casual, but it’s still worked well for him.
If Ryan captures a world title, he could be an even bigger star than Dela Hoya and Canelo Alvarez.
Ryan Garcia willing to fight without fans
“I got the best trainer in the world. I’m not tripping,” said Ryan. “Am I willing to fight without fans? Yes, of course, I’m willing to fight without fans. I love boxing, I love sport, and I love the whole feeling of it. It wouldn’t make me not want to fight.
“I just love boxing. Of course, I would. One of my motivations is proving all these dudes wrong. That’s probably my biggest motivation. They’re even mad that I’m using this filter. Do you know why I use this filter? To get these haters even more mad.
“If this is making you feel some sort of way, then you’ve got problems. Really. You’re going to complain about a filter? They’re mad about any little thing. They’re mad at the filter. I’m just doing this to irritate the haters that are already haters.
“Everybody is calling me out, and then they kid mad when I respond,” said Ryan Garcia. “‘You’re not humble.’ I’m sorry, sir. I am humble. I run every day for five miles, and I take care of my family, and I make sure they’re good.
“That’s staying humble. In no regard is staying humble mean staying quiet. That ain’t staying humble,” said Garcia.
It’s got to be difficult for Ryan Garcia to stay humble, especially with him knocking everybody out the way he’s doing.
These are Ryan’s recent knockout wins:
- Francisco Fonseca – TKO 1
- Romero Duno – TKO 1
- Jose Lopez – RTD 2
- Braulio Rodriguez – TKO 5
Boxing has helped Ryan’s mental health
“I did have struggles. When I was growing up, I didn’t really have much,” said Ryan. “My parents sacrificed everything they have for me to be where I am today. Any money they got, it was towards my boxing, and I am eternally grateful for that. Paycheck to paycheck, we didn’t have food for a couple of days. I knew where I had to go through to get to where I’m at today.
“Does boxing help with your mental health? Of course, it does. Boxing is a thing to release core stress,” said Garcia. “It also clears your mind and helps you think better. All the movement that you have, it helps you release all that you need to release,” said Ryan.
Winning a lot of fights has helped Ryan’s self-esteem and made him the person he is today. Hopefully, he can continue to find success for an extended period.
