“Remember Ali Came Back and Won”: Ahead of Comeback Fight, Ryan Garcia Reflects on the Impact of Errol Spence Jr and Jermell Charlo’s Loss in Dereck James’ Gym

‘KingRy’ enters the ring for the second time in the year for another non-title bout. The first professional loss to Gervonta Davis in April was a big blow. Hence, he wishes to go against Oscar Duarte on a clean slate, without any of the demons from the previous loss pulling him down. To that effect, he even changed trainers. Now, under the guidance of Derrick James, Ryan Garcia reflects on the time he spent at the gym with the recipient of multiple ‘Trainer of the Year’ awards.

He spoke at length about the experience so far and the overall atmosphere at the new place. More significantly, if there had been any impact, after the losses, two of James’ most well-known students, Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo, suffered. Boxing News asked ‘KingRy’ whether the defeats transformed the equations at the gym. Garcia replied that Derrick James usually tried not to think about such issues for too long. Otherwise, nothing had changed. He even took help from a timeline in history, when ‘The Greatest’ staged a comeback from the first setback.

Vibes remain unchanged: Ryan Garcia

As far as Spence Jr. is concerned, ‘KingRy’ said that since he was unable to speak with him, as of now, he was in the dark about the former champion’s predicament. Furthermore, he explained that there was little discussion about the losses. He said, “It’s one of those things. We’re boxers; we understand the game; we know how it is. It’s something that doesn’t really need to be talked about. They know what to do.” He added that nobody needs to tell the ‘Iron Man’ how to recover.

For that matter, he also won’t go out of his way trying to seek advice from Charlo. When it came to the Canelo Alvarez fight, Jermell Charlo was aware of the mistake he made and how to correct it.

Finally, touching base with Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford’s tentative rematch, Ryan Garcia added that boxers lose one battle and then come out winning the next one. He said, “[Muhammad] Ali and [Joe] Frazier. Remember Ali came back and won? Sometimes you need to figure it out and go back to the drawing board, and then come back and win. I’m confident that he can come back and win.”

Earlier, he had shared how he ended up in Texas, at Derrick James’ gym. The absence of distractions in Dallas, in comparison to Los Angeles, is the overall ‘calm environment.’

Ryan Garcia, on the offensive

Just 24 hours remain for Ryan Garcia and Oscar Duarte’s bout. But while the Mexican’s camp appears relatively tranquil, fireworks seem to have erupted at the California-born boxer’s end. The final press conference with Duarte saw an intense face-off between the two belligerents. But the event might be more remembered for the way Garcia went all-out against his promoters.

The last few weeks saw him engage in an intense slanging match with Shakur Stevenson. Garcia was at the forefront of a relentless attack on the New Jersey native.

Read More: Ryan Garcia vs. Oscar Duarte by the Numbers: Prediction, Stats Comparison, and Analyzing the Chances of an Upset Win

Do you think it’s fair to put the blame squarely on the trainer if a fighter loses a bout? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Concerned for Ryan Garcia, Fans Left Jaw-Dropped by Opponent Oscar Duarte’s ‘Knockout Shot’ in Viral Training Clip