Canelo Alvarez has offered his support to Ryan Garcia after the lightweight announced he would take some time away from boxing.
Garcia gave few details about his decision but most fighters have been supportive of the 22-year-old Californian after he decided to drop out of his July fight with Javier Fortuna to take care of his mental health.
The American youngster is the WBC mandatory but had elected to dodge any fight with Devin Haney, and is now out of action for an indefinite period.
Alvarez is currently preparing for his May 8 fight with Billy Joe Saunders which will be shown globally on DAZN (except in Mexico), assuming a dispute over the ring size is resolved. He shares a trainer with Garcia in Eddy Reynoso, and the pair of them get on well.
“We are here to support him. He’s going to be back soon,” Alvarez told BoxingScene.com.
“He needs a little time. He knows what happened. We are a team, and we will support him in every way and moment.”
Alvarez has had to battle through his own family and career pressures, and other issues away from the boxing ring, he explained.
When asked if he had ever suffered from mental health problems, he said: “Thank God, but no. I have had my problems in my life, but I’ve always known how to move ahead and go forward and put the problems aside. I’ve always understood there is a solution.”