RYAN GARCIA has left mentor Canelo Alvarez’s gym to ‘build his own brand and make it bigger’ ahead of his boxing return.
Garcia in 2018 linked up with esteemed coach Eddy Reynoso in Canelo’s adopted US training base in San Diego.
But the lightweight prospect, 23, has parted ways with Reynoso to join veteran cornerman and pundit Joe Goosen.
Garcia’s dad and co-trainer Henry told BoxingScene: “Ryan decided that it was time for him to have his own gym, where he’s not confined to a certain schedule and a certain day.
“It’s like, ‘Hey, we have a fight coming up’ you know. He wanted to build his own brand and make it bigger.
“I think it’s time. It’s like when you have an apartment – you get tired of renting and you want your own place. It’s almost like that.
“The main thing is that Ryan did not want to feel that he was, you know, in somebody else’s, you know, he felt that his brand can hold up, just like Floyd Mayweather Jr when Mayweather decided to move away from Top Rank and start his own thing.
“It’s almost the same thing. He just didn’t want to feel confined to one area where you have to wait until they decide to work out and this and that.
“We don’t want that. We want to have our own place, and what’s wrong with that?”
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Garcia has been out since January 2021, when he stopped Britain’s Luke Campbell, 34, with a body shot in round seven.
A hand injury has kept the talented American sidelined, but he received criticism from Canelo, 31, for his disincline.
But Garcia’s dad revealed, despite the split, they are still in contact with Alvarez and his entourage.
He said: “We have love for Canelo, Eddy, and the team. They are beautiful and awesome people.
“I can’t emphasise that enough. We respect them and there are no hard feelings at all.
“We thank them for all of their assistance and are appreciative for everything they’ve done, but I guess when you know we have to make some changes, that’s something that’s decided.
“Eddy helped me tremendously. We wanted to be with a championship coach so I can experience it myself. Nobody knows my son better than I do.”
Garcia was set to fight JoJo Diaz, 29, in November until he was forced into surgery for his injured hand.
He has since recovered and returned to training having signed to fight Emmanuel Tagoe on April 9.
Garcia Sr said: “We’re doing good sparring. We’re not missing a beat. We can’t – we have a fight coming up. We will be ready come April 9.”
