By Jeff Carroll
The Fierce King Falters
Like him or not, the kid has arrived. There was a fair share of doubt going into Saturday’s fight against Luke Campbell. Despite Garcia being the betting favourite, the British side of the pond certainly had full faith in their fighter, and there were more than a few Americans who cheered a little extra when the “Fierce King” hit the canvas in the second round.
Haters be like
Let’s be honest, the kid is easy to hate. A social media superstar, he’s the epitome of the anti-Boomer, and boxing isn’t exactly a youthful fanbase. Savvy, connected, and slick, Garcia has mastered his medium, and he’s only 22. His affable cockiness, buoyed by his somewhat punchable face, only adds to the polarity of his stardom. Even the boxers of rival promoters have voiced subtle disdain for the young phenom. You can hear jealousy creep into their voices when they talk about their own perceived lack of self promotion, when they argue purse size should be related to achievement, not followers. Garcia puts the majority of boxers to shame when it comes to name recognition and they despise him for it, believing his talent didn’t live up to his reputation, and they were not alone in this belief…. and his videos with Jake and Logan Paul definitely don’t help his reputation amongst boxing’s crustiest.
“You got guts kid…”
KingRy answered questions and silenced a lot of those doubters when he got up off the canvas in the second round and proceeded to give Luke Campbell the liver shivers. After his knockdown, he showed heart, recoved quickly, and went back on the attack. Campbell deserves criticism for not pressing more in the aftermath, but he obviously feared Garcia’s power. Ryan regained the edge in the 5th and had Campbell in real trouble at the end of the round, cowering on the ropes as the bell rang to save him. Garcia began with impatient aggression at the beginning of the sixth, but settled down to end it in the 7th with a devastating body shot reminiscent of his cinnamon haired stable mate.
The King has no clothes?
What can we make of the Garcia performance? He certainly has earned a moment, finishing a man who took both Linares and Lomachenko the distance in hard fights. He also looked flawed. His feet seemed to be encased in concrete, at times so flat footed even the usually gushing DAZN announcers were able to notice. His head was a stationary target for most of the fight, a feature that a more capable fighter would definitely exploit. His defense was below average, and sometimes non-existent. Eddie Reynoso has said that he has worked with Ryan only two years, he is still young, and he will improve. He certainly has the power. His aggression will make him a treat for viewers. But is he a one-dimensional fighter? Will he be able to withstand the power of Gervonta Davis? The technique of Devin Haney? The pressure of Teofimo Lopez? At this point, it seems KingRy is the least developed of the young rising lightweight stars. One thing is for sure: whether it’s to see him win or to see him lose, people will watch, and that’s just the kind of star boxing is looking for.