Madman or genius? The story of Ryan Garcia, the brightest representative of modern boxing

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One of the most sensational, controversial, and at the same time most talented masters of the leather gloves in today's boxing world is Ryan Garcia. Millions of followers on social media, lightning-fast punches in the ring, and constant controversies have turned his name into one of the brightest brands in boxing.

On September 13, Ryan Garcia held his next fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Defending his WBC weight class championship belt for the first time, Garcia entered the ring against the famous British boxer Conor Benn.

The fight lasted only two rounds. Having closely observed his opponent in the first round, Ryan knocked Benn out terribly in the very 1st minute of the second round, and the referee stopped the contest. With this victory, Garcia updated his professional boxing record. He has 25 victories in 28 fights on his record, 21 of which ended in a knockout.

After the victory, he addressed his next opponents right from the ring:

"I always knew my right hand was strong, only injuries got in the way! Teofimo Lopez, where are you, get in the ring!"

Lopez, who was sitting in the hall, tried to rush into the ring after these words, but the security guards did not allow it.

**The beginning of his career: from amateur to professional boxing**

Ryan Garcia was born in California in 1998. He started attending boxing school at the age of 7. In amateur boxing, he showed very good results — more than 200 victories and 15-time US championship.

Having turned professional in 2016, Ryan began to conquer the boxing world with his fast movements and left hook punch. Each of his fights fascinated the audience, and in a short time, he signed a contract with Oscar De La Hoya's "Golden Boy Promotions".

**"Instagram boxer" and the art of trash-talk**

Garcia quickly became known in professional boxing not only for his punches but also for his activity on social media. Having millions of subscribers, Ryan managed to harmonize boxing and media.

He effectively uses trash-talk to mentally break his opponents before the fight. His behavior at press conferences and provocative posts on social media increase interest in the fights several times over.

"I am not just a regular boxer. I want to show people that boxing is not just fighting, it is an art and a show. People see my popularity on social media and forget that I am a boxer. But the punches I deliver when I enter the ring bring them back to reality," Garcia himself says.

**Scandals and disqualification**

Ryan's career does not consist only of triumphs. He has been at the center of a number of sensational controversies:

In 2021, he canceled several important fights due to his mental health and depression.

In 2023, he accepted the first defeat of his career in the match against Gervonta Davis.

Garcia looks like a "difficult child" from a rich family. He has great potential. However, he cannot make effective use of all this. Sometimes he gets involved in controversy by doing things that do not fit the name of a high-level professional boxer.

Up to a certain point, all this worked well as "black PR", but the level of opponents quickly increased, and Ryan could not withstand it. This very aspect was the reason for the painful defeat against Gervonta Davis. The fact that the fight ended early, and that he was knocked out after taking a punch to the liver, frustrated Garcia even more.

In 2024, Ryan Garcia wins the fight against Devin Haney. But after the fight, a banned substance was found in his blood. Following this, the result of the match was canceled, and Garcia was suspended from boxing for one year.

**A strong comeback**

The doping scandal dealt another blow to Ryan's career. Garcia entered the ring as a clear favorite in his next fight against Rolando Romero. But in the end, he fought quite sluggishly, was knocked down in the second round, and rightfully lost. One of the judges even recorded a score of 118-109 against Garcia.

But this result did not break Garcia. He came back stronger. In February of this year, he entered the ring against Mario Barrios and achieved a brilliant victory. This victory brought him the WBC welterweight championship title.

On September 13, he defended his championship belt by defeating Benn. This, of course, returns Ryan to the very top of the boxing world. Judging by Garcia's challenge after the victory over Conor Benn, his next fight will be against Teofimo Lopez.

**Dana White's recognition**

UFC President Dana White does not hide his admiration for Garcia's fights. He always showers him with praise.

"He has terrible power, he is a good guy, he has a sharp tongue, and he is not afraid of anyone. This guy is ready to fight anyone," White says.

Ryan could also soon become the main star of the Zuffa Boxing promotion.

A new chapter is opening in Ryan's life. At such a time, making the right decisions will be very important. Garcia has often wasted his talent on useless things. Now is the time to rein it all in. Then a bright future awaits the American. Considering all of the above, it is hard to believe that the boxer is only 28 years old.