By: Sean Crose
“Appreciate you,” young man in ESNews the video says as he hugs the woman, “appreciate you.” Appreciation is a word the young man knows well, for the assessment of the crowd in the scene, he is appreciated by a lot of people. It’s good to be Ryan Garcia, make no mistake about it. With a fight looming next month and a possible Gervonta Davis blockbuster glimmering ahead, the twenty-three-year-old power puncher making headlines on social media looks exactly like what he is. we have in the video… a rising star. Serious. Up-and-coming musicians don’t get Garcia’s attention from his already massive fan base.
“I’ve always predicted great things about him since I was a kid,” said Joe Goosen, Garcia’s coach, “and I’ve always held on to those predictions.” With a combination of looks, talent, bravery and unbeaten record (22-0), Garcia can completely have a chance to become a household name. “He got that element,” Goosen declared. Whether that factor leads to the California-born boxer becoming the face of post-Mayweather boxing remains to be seen. He hasn’t fought the creme de la creme yet, so it’s futile to jump on a hype train. However, watching the reactions of those gathered to see Garcia in it ES News video is being told. This is a martial artist who is not only respected but loved. That’s a good difference.
After all, how well-loved were the strugglers really? Pacquiao sure. Leonard sure. Ali is certainly well-liked, though he has his detractors. Who else? Joe Louis? Alexis Arguello? The list is certainly thin. Garcia, however, appears to be in that camp. Of course he’s not as beloved as any of the aforementioned legends – at least not yet. After all, these men were proven commodities who received the response on the scale that they received. Obviously Garcia isn’t there yet – but he seems to be on his way. All he has to do is keep winning…but easier said than done.
Garcia is clearly the favorite going into battle with Javier Fortuna on July 16. Provided he wins, though, what next? He clearly has Gervonta Davis on his mind. However, Davis is a kind of boxer. There is no guarantee that the 23-year-old known as “King Ry” can win. Then there are other big names in Garcia’s weight class – Devin Haney, Vasyl Lomachenko, Teofimo Lopez, George Kambosos. Can Garcia beat them all? No one really knows. However, the guy seems eager to find out – which is probably one of the reasons why he finds himself so popular.
