Ryan Garcia vs Emmanuel Tagoe: Garcia looking to come into his own in this next chapter of his career

Ryan Garcia seeks to get his promising career back on track, starting with this weekend’s ring return against Emmanuel Tagoe which will air live on DAZN. It’s no secret Garcia went through a tough stretch where he took a hiatus to deal with some mental health issues, only to then attempt a return before a broken hand and subsequent surgery pushed that back. All the while he had what appeared to be a public falling out with Canelo Alvarez, who openly questioned Garcia’s commitment to the sport.

Both sides would later downplay any rift between them, but it wasn’t very long before Garcia officially left Team Canelo to team up with Joe Goossen, who would take over the reigns as lead trainer. Garcia tells ESPN that he still values the time he spent under the wing of trainer Eddy Reynoso, but the time came for him to move on.

“I did a lot of great things in those five fights that I had with Eddy [Reynoso],” Garcia told ESPN. “And I’m grateful for it. And this new chapter is obviously my chapter, right? Now it’s time for me to come into my own.”

Garcia would continue by saying that he’s well aware of all the things fans and media have been saying about him during his time away from the sport, but is only focused on performing in this outing as he knows one good showing can change people’s tunes.

“There’s definitely a lot of things that were said about me, obviously, when I was on my break and the things that I had to go through,” Garcia said. “But I ride it. I ride it like a wave. Because when I win the fight, you’re going to see everybody creeping back in, trying to be all cool. People are going to talk. There’s going to be a lot of opinions. But I’m in control of my story by the way I perform. I’m happy to be anything people want to say I am because I know who I am. So I’m ready.”

A dominant showing by Garcia this weekend will likely go a long way to restoring the momentum he had after stopping Luke Campbell in January 2021.