I took some guff from boxing "purists" when I proclaimed Ryan "Kingry" Garcia a superstar-in-the-making three or four years back. Now, I have to turn full-circle and urge the kid to slow his roll, because he most definitely is not a superstar yet.
But, first, some background for those who aren't fully up on the story.
All of this comes in the aftermath of the 21-year-old's latest brouhaha with promoter Golden Boy.
After Garcia refused the promotional company's offer of $200,000 for a scheduled July 4th bout on DAZN, Golden Boy founder and CEO, Oscar De La Hoya, who specializes in self-sabotage and poor personal decision making, took to Twitter.
"Due to Team @KingRyanG decision not to accept a July 4th bout, we will now return in late July with the future of boxing ?? @vergilortiz , more exciting details to follow @GoldenBoyBoxing."
This dumbness from the supposed adult in the room prompted a since-deleted social media response from Garcia:
"You do realize you're supposed to be my promoter not hater, right?"
This dust-up was reminiscent of the public cat fight last September when Garcia rejected a last-minute bout with Romero Duno. In that particular case, an ugly back-and-forth on social media led to a meeting of minds later that month and, ultimately, a five-fight deal for Garcia that was touted as the most lucrative, ever, for en emerging prospect.
But now, just two-fights into that deal, tempers are heating up once again.
“I’m not getting respect in the business matters,” Garcia said on the Chris Mannix boxing podcast. “They promote me as one of the biggest names that they have got. I’m not feeling the extra love that they claim I’m getting shown. I’m one of their most viewed fighters. Guaranteed, top-three. I’m getting the views. I’m getting the clicks. More than anyone but Canelo [Alvarez] and [Anthony] Joshua. Where’s my love?”
“That’s bull----,” Garcia continued. “Why am I being held back financially? What is the problem here? Why is DAZN giving out big numbers to guys fighting nobodies? It’s fucked up how I’m being treated. I’m not asking for $100 million. Just give me the check I deserve. How am I one of the biggest fighters in the world and I get bigger paychecks outside of boxing?”
Golden Boy President Eric Gomez later told Mannix that Garcia had been offered an amount above his contractual minimum, but couldn't be paid the full purse he was asking for (reportedly $500K) because of the financial realities brought on by the Covid-19 shutdown. As a fighter who makes much of his money as a live gate draw, according to Gomez, Garcia's revenue-generating ability is greatly diminished in a no-audience boxing world.
Okay, so that puts us up to date. Now, let's circle back and address the giant elephant "Kingry" dropped into the room.
Ryan Garcia may feel like a superstar because he's rich in social media love and cup protector-deep in nubile tail, but he's not quite there yet in boxing terms.
In boxing, stardom is not always a meritocracy where the best of the best become the biggest of the biggest. But Garcia, despite his social media presence and the general aura of being someone who COULD become a big star, is not a star yet. He just hasn't converted all the outside-the-ring attention into dollar and cents. And, to be honest, given the DAZN business structure under which he works, he probably won't ever get as big as he could get if he were out there in the free, open market. It's a stretch to imagine his Instagram legion signing up, en masse, for a subscription to a service where he fights twice or three times a year-- especially this younger generation that is hip to how to get all this internet stuff for free.
And, competitively, the kid has yet to actually prove himself anything other than what he is-- a promising prospect. Wins over Francisco Fonseca, Jayson Velez, and Romero Duno should only take you so far in this boxing world.
Given this reality and the fact that he's not yet a truly bankable name, it's a bit cringeworthy to see him mention himself in the same breath as Muhammad Ali (as he's done in the recent past) and declare himself "one of the biggest fighters in the world."
One could say that Garcia is just a kid full of confidence with an eagerness to take over the world. This kind of piss and vinegar is understandable in a blue-chipper. But this crazy bravado could also be the first sign of a fatal personality flaw as someone who, maybe, is starting to take to heart his own press clippings and social media love.
This is no time in a career to quibble over relative peanuts and lose fight dates by butting heads with the team in charge of your career growth. It's time to take on all comers, beat them impressively, and up your level of opposition while increasing your mainstream public profile.
You definitely don't want to risk the tens and hundreds of millions down the road because you lost your focus and dampened your push, fighting over thousands.
Got something for Magno? Send it here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com