Corner Talk: Garcia has sights set on Olympics
Many young boxers have one dream in mind — prizefighting. But one local fighter's dream is to earn a spot on the 2016 United States Olympic boxing team.
Adelanto's Ryan Garcia has been making lasting impressions in the boxing world. His favorite compliment so far was hearing Timothy Bradley say he has a beautiful jab.
Bradley is right — Garcia does have a beautiful and crisp jab. A jab is the most important punch in a boxer's arsenal if utilized correctly. A jab won't end a fight, but it will set up every other punch that can end a fight. A busy jab is used to distract an opponent while helping a fighter find his range.
Garcia utilizes his jab properly and really "cracks the whip" when he throws it.
I watched a couple of videos of his fights and sparring sessions. One thing was evident, Garcia is skilled defensively and knows how to counter punch and throw wonderfully timed combinations.
His dad, Henry, said his son is hard to hit.
"He sees punches coming," Henry said. "He's naturally a defensive fighter. He slips punches and that's what enables him to throw counter shots off those misses."
Garcia fights in the 125-pound division and usually has a height advantage. Depending on which Garcia you ask, he stands in the 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-11 range.
"I love having a size advantage in the ring," Garcia said. "It's the greatest advantage. Your opponents have to work harder to hit you, where I can just sit back, relax and go to work."
Garcia is a complete student of the game. He spends his time watching videos of Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and, most impressive to me, Meldrick Taylor. When a 15-year-old says he watches and studies Taylor, you know he really is a fan of the sweet science. Taylor was a gold medalist in 1984, went on to win two world championships in his career and is best known for his controversial title unification bout against Julio Cesar Chavez in 1990.
Garcia said he was turned onto boxing when he was 7 by his uncle. Garcia was playing baseball at that age, but found a sport to match his one-on-one competitiveness.
"I'm the most competitive person you'll ever meet," he said. "Boxing isn't a team sport. You're responsible for what happens in the ring. You don't have to worry about anybody else pointing blame on you or saying to someone it's your fault we lost."
Garcia's dreams of competing for the U.S. Olympic team can soon become a reality. He's ranked No. 2 in his division by U.S. Boxing and is preparing to compete for his 11th National Title in West Virginia.
"All of the guys fighting in that division, I have beat," Garcia said with a smile. "Even the top-ranked guy, I have beat him twice but he has beat me once. I have dropped him and given him a standing eight count in our other fights. I have a strong feeling I'm going to come home victorious."
Jose Quintero can be reached at 760-256-4122 or JQuintero@DesertDispatch.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @JoseQuinteroDD.