Ryan Garcia stood alone during his post-fight presser following his defeat against Gervonta Davis. Seemingly apoplectic and in stunned disbelief that Davis was the better man, the 24-year-old vowed to not only return a better fighter but to also make sweeping changes.
Just a few days after stomaching the first loss of his career, Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) canned his now former trainer, Joe Goossen. His search for a new lead man in his corner spanned several weeks. And while rumors circulated that he would make amends with Eddy Reynoso, the California native has opted to go in another direction.
With a bevy of trainers to choose from, Garcia has officially decided that Derrick James is the right man for the job. The 2022 BWAA Trainer of the Year has a long list of notable fighters and champions now at his disposal, most notably – Errol Spence Jr., the reigning unified welterweight champion, Jermell Charlo, the current undisputed jr middleweight titlist, Frank Martin, a highly ranked lightweight contender and Anthony Joshua, the former unified heavyweight champion of the world.
Garcia’s decision to join James’ Texas stable ostensibly wasn’t just his own. In a recent post on his social media account, it appears as though the wildly popular star sought the blessing and approval of Spence before taking the plunge.
“Thank you to Derrick James and Errol Spence Jr. for allowing me to join the team.”
Although the 2023 calendar is still relatively young, James has already helped one of his newly signed fighters get back on the winning track.
Joshua, fresh off back-to-back defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk, ditched his old coach and teamed up with James. As a tandem, the two picked up a relatively wide unanimous decision victory against Jermaine Franklin earlier this year.
From afar, Garcia has always revered James and what he brings to the table. In another post to his social media account, the flamboyant luminary was spotted standing face-to-face with his newly found trainer soaking in knowledge with Spence standing by his side.
Though he could opt to take things slow while fully grasping James’ offensive and defensive philosophies, Garcia appears to be anxious to saunter through a jam-packed arena with his world-renowned trainer shouting instructions from the sidelines – sooner rather than later.
“New beginnings. Time for the return.”
By Hans Themistode