"It was just kind of shocking" - When Ryan Garcia discussed rift with former mentor Canelo Alvarez and why he switched teams
Former interim lightweight champ Ryan Garcia shared a close bond with undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. The two trained under coach Eddy Reynoso until Garcia's departure from the team in 2021.
In 2022, in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Garcia explained the reasoning behind his exit from the team.
"It was just time to move on. There was nothing left to do in that camp so it's time to move forward and I'm now gonna do my own thing, do great things myself, so it was just a relationship that came to an end and that's it."
Garcia also addressed Alvarez's questions against his work ethic and expressed hurt at the criticism coming from someone who knew better about his circumstances. 'KingRy' added:
"No, I know that I'm insane, I'm a maniac from how I work and how I've always worked throughout my whole career. So none of that affected me. It was just kind of shocking because he knows what I was going through so there was the reasoning why I wasn't at the gym and that’s why I decided to take a break from everything and make sure I get myself right.
"I was more confused and shocked because I know he's not oblivious and he understands a lot of things. So I didn't quite understand why he would say that, but I don't really care anymore."
Check out Ryan Garcia's full comments in his interview below (6:45):
Ryan Garcia and Canelo Alvarez ended their feud publicly on social media
Ryan Garcia and Canelo Alvarez's feud of over two years ended earlier this year after the two publicly expressed support for each other on social media.
Garcia himself posted a picture with Alvarez and was grateful to the Mexican champion and his team for their guidance in the initial stages of his career. Alvarez also responded and stated that they loved him.
Garcia addressed Alvarez as 'big brother' and was respectful in his comments.
"My big brother! No matter what I'm with you. You taught me a lot. No one can tell me otherwise. I will always respect you."
It will be interesting to see if the two get together to train under the same roof again.
Check out the screenshots of Ryan Garcia and Canelo Alvarez's interaction below: