Hours Before Oscar Duarte Fight, Ryan Garcia Pens Down a Heartfelt Message to Mike Tyson, Who Flew Down to Houston to Cheer ‘People’s Champ’

The wisdom and knowledge of a champion like Mike Tyson, who has seen it all, is priceless. ‘Iron’ Mike remains a powerful figure in the sport, even though he retired 18 years ago. Going in and supporting new, upcoming boxers is a great opportunity to capitalize on these skills. That’s what he did when he flew down to Houston, Texas, to meet Ryan Garcia. The 25-year-old boxing sensation meets Oscar Duarte for a non-title bout at the Toyota Center.

Soon after they met, Mike Tyson even shared a post. He called Garcia ‘people’s champ’ and wrote how he loved spending time with the Californian. To fans’ delight, the post even had a few pictures of the two engrossed in discussions, besides the ones with Garcia’s father and younger brother Sean Garcia, who fights as one of the undercards. It was time for Ryan Garcia to express his gratitude for the boxing great’s loving gesture.

A grateful ‘KingRy’

Taking to his Instagram stories, he scribbled, “@Miketyson, nothing but love, Mike.” It’s a moving tribute to a giant whose vast experience would fill volumes. Ryan Garcia will enter the ring more than six months after losing to Gervonta Davis. As most fans would easily recall, in many ways, the fight owed its birth to Mike Tyson. Reportedly, it was the youngest heavyweight champion who got ‘Tank’ and ‘KingRy’ to consent to a fight in his studio.

Anyhow, the bout ended on a disastrous note for Garcia. He capitulated after a deadly body shot from Davis forced him to sit down. He couldn’t get up within the referee’s count of ten.

Ryan Garcia goes off against legends

Soon after his first career loss, Ryan Garcia moved to 140 pounds. However, per the latest reports, the bout with Duarte would take place at a catchweight of 143 catchweight. The startling move follows his recent utterances against promoters Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins. Anyhow, relations between him and the Gold Boy Promotions team were already strained after the ‘Tank’ fight. It got pushed far enough to end up in court when De la Hoya filed a lawsuit against Garcia.

In his latest outburst, ‘KingRy’ reportedly wondered whether Oscar De La Hoya and his team supported him or Duarte. But his prime target, as it appeared, remained Bernard Hopkins. He bawled out at the former undisputed middleweight champion for his remarks on his career path. The sudden outcry occurred during a press conference. It has now sparked a flood of responses and comments on social media, besides grabbing headline space in sports.

Read More: Ryan Garcia vs. Oscar Duarte Stats: Age, Height, Weight, Reach, Net Worth, Record, and More

Though Garcia might be the all-time favorite to win the bout, do you think Oscar Duarte could turn the tables today? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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