Ryan Garcia will continue his career at a higher weight and under the tutelage of a new head cornerman.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that Garcia has parted ways with veteran trainer Joe Goossen. The split comes a little more than a year after the two joined forces in early 2022, working just three fights together and which ended with Garcia’s lone career defeat when he was stopped by unbeaten star Gervonta Davis in the seventh round of their April 22 super fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Neither Goossen nor Golden Boy Promotions’ chairman Oscar De La Hoya joined Garcia during the post-fight press conference.
That said, no firm reason behind the split was provided to Boxing Scene, who was otherwise able to confirm the development through two sources close to the situation shortly after ESPN.com boxing insider Mike Coppinger first broke the news via social media.
Boxing Scene has also learned that Garcia recently parted ways with Adam Mendelsohn’s Upland Workshop, his previously hired publicity team whose roster of A-list clients includes NBA all-time great LeBron James, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and famed actor-turned politician Arnold Schwarznegger.
Garcia (23-1, 19KOs) connected with Goossen prior to his ring return last April 9 which followed a 15-month ring absence. The move came last February following his split from Eddy Reynoso and an all-star camp that included four-division and undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Garcia won five fights under Reynoso’s tutelage—all inside the distance, including his January 2021 off-the-canvas, seventh-round knockout of England’s Luke Campbell in what turned out to be their final fight together.
There appeared to be a strong bond in place with Goossen through their first two fights together, both of which took place in a three-month span and closer to the 140-pound junior welterweight limit. Garcia claimed a lopsided points win over a disinterested Emmanuel Tagoe last April 9 in San Antonio and a far more fan-friendly sixth-round knockout of Javier Fortuna last July 16 in Los Angeles.
Garcia then pushed for a showdown with Baltimore’s Davis (29-0, 27KOs), though matters external to the boxers’ immediate agreement pushed the fight beyond the 2022 calendar.
Both boxers were granted interim fights, which saw Davis score a ninth-round stoppage of WBA junior lightweight titlist Hector Luis Garcia (16-1, 10KOs; no relation to Ryan) who moved up in weight for their January 7 pay-per-view headliner in Washington D.C. Ryan Garcia chose to forgo the process, a decision which came after Golden Boy secured the services of Mercito Gesta for a planned DAZN headliner in late January.
The decision led to a nine-month gap between fights for Garcia, who’d also agreed to a 136-pound catchweight and 10-pound same-day rehydration clause. Both boxers were under the contracted limit and well within the 10-pound weight cap on the morning of the fight.
Garcia confirmed after the loss to Davis that he will campaign in the 140-pound junior welterweight division. It is not yet known as this goes to publication, who will take over the reins as head trainer. Henry Garcia, Ryan’s father, will remain on board, though it is not believed that he will resume his old role as the leading voice in his son’s corner.
By Jake Donovan