Mikey Garcia was all the time a person of few phrases who let his actions do his speaking. And, if reviews of his retirement are true, then he retired in a really Mikey Garcia fashion– through a quiet updating of his Instagram profile replace.
The four-division world champ’s Instagram profile now reads: “Retired World Champ 126, 130, 135, 140 lbs.”
And, apparently, that’s sufficient for boxing media (myself included) to imagine that the person IS retired.
So, yeah, let’s make the belief that Garcia’s 16-year skilled profession has come to an finish at 34 years of age and with a file of 40-2, with 30 KOs. What would be the legacy left behind by coach Robert Garcia’s child brother?
Being a four-division world champ is a giant deal, even on this period the place belts are plentiful and a man like Adrien Broner can be, technically, a four-division world champ.
Garcia was additionally a unified two-belt champ at light-weight, taking Dejan Zlaticanin’s WBC title and, three fights later, after successful a junior welterweight title, taking Robert Easter Jr.’s IBF title.
Alongside the best way, the Ventura, California resident packed some large wins on his resume in opposition to the likes of Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Dejan Zlaticanin, Robert Easter Jr., Adrien Broner, Sergey Lipinets, and Jessie Vargas.
And whereas the final three years of his profession had been slowed down with a principally failed try to grow to be an elite participant within the welterweight division (and nab a big-money Manny Pacquiao showdown), Garcia’s excellence on the decrease weights can’t be overstated.
Raised in a boxing household, Mikey’s method was impeccable and his demeanor was unflappable. He was each bit the cool, scientific killer who picked till he noticed a gap and than calmly went about brutally disassembling his opponent. He manifested a easy one-two-three type, but it surely was constructed round one of many sharpest jabs within the sport. His brilliance was not primarily based on athletic prowess or anyone specific bodily attribute, it was constructed round his mastery of primary boxing fundamentals. Environment friendly, targeted, and with super stability, Garcia was merely the most effective offensive fighters of his time.
His biggest legacy to the boxing enterprise, nonetheless, could have come through his outside-the-ring battle for independence {and professional} self-determination. Confronted with a really old-fashioned Prime Rank boxing contract that violated the phrases of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act by granting his promoter “the flexibility to increase the settlement indefinitely,” Garcia filed a lawsuit in 2014, in search of full promotional independence.
Ultimately, the swimsuit was settled and Garcia would go on to have a collection of profitable fights as a free agent. However it price him two-and-a-half years of his career– in his bodily prime– and there was by no means a assure that he’d come out successful after giving up a lot of his time on this battle. His bravery on this regard ought to in all probability outline him as a boxer, simply as a lot as something he did within the ring.
For the reason that information of his obvious retirement began to flow into, there’s been a dialogue over whether or not Garcia is a legit Corridor of Famer. The reply to that must be a convincing “in fact.” The accomplishments are there, his resume stacks up with any of his high-end contemporaries, and, for a very good chunk of his profession, he was as dominant in his weight class as any of the modern better of one of the best.
However that is additionally boxing…so take this social media, digital retirement with the appropriately sized grain of salt.
