Hailed as the ‘future of boxing’ last weekend by broadcasters DAZN, lightweight star Ryan Garcia has said he plans to leave the sport in four years to ‘battle hate’ in America.
Garcia, who has a huge presence on social networks including a mammoth 8.2 million followers on Instagram, is once again teasing an early retirement from boxing, having been touched by the events in Washington this week where supporters of departing President Donald Trump stormed Capitol Hill in an unprecedented protest that cost five lives.
The Californian has previously maintained he will retire at 26 to explore other avenues and plans to use his significant platform for a positive purpose. He feels he has bigger role to play beyond boxing and, with his sky-rocketing profile and ever-expanding fanbase, that goal might not be as fanciful as it first sounds.
“I’m gonna move on to inspire people in a different way and to play my part in this battle against hate and confusion in America,” Garcia told The Ak and Barak Show’on SiriusXM.
“In my humble opinion, Donald Trump did inspire hate. I don’t care which way you put it. I don’t care if he covers his tracks after he says something bad.
“And people are trying to confuse people and that’s where the confusion comes from because he’s always covering his tracks after he says something – that’s not right. You don’t do that because then that causes confusion. Whatever you put out into the world, it will be out.
“Trust me, that’s another fight, but don’t worry, in due time that’s going to be that big one and I’m going to win that one, too. Trust me.”
Garcia, 22, lived up to his considerable hype seven days ago with a performance of perseverance and power as he shrugged off a second-round knockdown to despatch two-time world title challenger Luke Campbell with a brutal body shot in the seventh stanza in Dallas.
With his crossover appeal and now legitimised credentials, the highly marketable Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) has plenty of options in a vibrant lightweight division. A clash with Baltimore banger Gervonta Davis seems most likely with the duo hyping that potential fight on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast this week whilst Garcia is now the No.1 contender for WBC champion and former amateur rival Devin Haney. Undisputed lightweight king Teofimo Lopez is another exciting option after he deals with his mandatory engagement against Australian George Kambosos.
He may have lofty goals beyond boxing, but Garcia has pressing business to settle inside the ring first.