Ryan Garcia has no concerns with his right hand and is ready to get back to training after beating Emmanuel Tagoe.
The Californian made a return to the ring after 15 months away following a break due to mental health concerns, and then had to undergo hand surgery which prevented him from taking on Jojo Diaz towards the end of 2021.
That followed on from the cancelled bout with Javier Fortuna last summer, meaning Tagoe was called up more as a tune-up fight than a high-profile bout. Golden Boy Promotions have suggested that Garcia could fight three more times this year which would allow him to get back into the mix as one of the biggest names at 135lbs.
Garcia sent Tagoe to the canvas in the second round of their fight but had to go 12 rounds in order to secure a victory by way of a unanimous decision. The American was content with the progress he made over the course of the fight.
“My hand felt good,” Garcia told BoxingScene.com.
“It’s a little bruised but that’s no big deal. Everyone gets bruised during a fight.
“I actually felt like I should have had better timing with it, though. I felt the difference with the eight-ounce gloves after getting it right with fourteen-ounce gloves in sparring. I felt myself coming up short a lot.”
The fight was Garcia’s first since he left Eddy Reynoso’s gym after what appeared to be a tension between the former WBC interim champion and Reynoso’s star boxer, undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. He then joined up with trainer Joe Goossen, and Garcia is ready to get back to work with him in order to put right some weaknesses.
“I could have done a better job placing my shots and applying smart pressure,” he explained.
“But, I know the hand is good. I know I can go twelve rounds and I’m ready to get back in the gym and just keep getting better and better.”