By: Sean Crose
“I really don’t have that many emotions,” Ryan Garcia said when asked Battle Center about the fight back tomorrow night against Emmanuel Tagoe. “I just know I have a job to do, a mission to do, Saturday night.” First and foremost, that mission is a successful return to the fighting game. As for the popular Californian who hasn’t been in the ring since January 2021, over a year ago. However, a popular boxer like Garcia has to do more than just win to be able to raise eyebrows this weekend. He has to win impressively. That is not guaranteed to be an easy task.
However, Garcia remained relaxed and focused ahead of Saturday’s game, which took place in front of DAZN cameras at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Now, under the tutelage of renowned coach Joe Goosen, Garcia is starting a new phase of his career with a sense of confidence. “It really is how you feel,” he says, “the atmosphere in the gym. There’s a lot of good energy going on, a lot of good vibes. All of that seems to have instilled in the 23-year-old with a winning mindset that will come this weekend. “I expect a great performance to come on Saturday night,” he said.
Garcia has made it clear that he is looking for his game as a boxer. “There is a lot of work being done,” he said. “They’ll come together, or you’ll see what I’ve always done.” In other words, it is not a question of whether he will win, but just how he will win. Tagoe, of course, sees things differently. “I’m going to get a feel for him and see what he’s got,” Garcia said of his opponent, “and I’ll start working from there.”
For some talk before the fight? “He puts a lot of pressure on himself,” said Garcia. While it’s true that Garcia is the more famous of the two, it’s worth noting that Tagoe hasn’t lost in years. Add to that the fact the man was defeated only once – in his first fight – way back in 2004, when Garcia was just 5 years old, and obviously being of Ghanaian descent has some information. So does Garcia, of course, who makes tomorrow night’s game even more interesting. Will Garcia remain as “King Ry” as his name suggests… or will Tagoe seek to dethrone the young star? It is questions like these that power the sport of boxing.
