Watch: Teary-eyed Danny Garcia opens up about his depression after beating Jose Benavidez Jr. - "I felt a little dark"
Danny Garcia ended his long in-ring hiatus by defeating Jose Benavidez Jr. via majority decision on Saturday. The two-division world champion made a successful debut in the middleweight category, later claiming that he is far from done.
However, the Showtime main event wasn’t just about Garcia’s boxing redemption. The fight was also about his personal struggles, which ‘Swift’ spoke about in his post-fight interview.
After winning his 37th pro-bout, Garcia opened up about suffering from depression during his boxing layoff. He thanked his close ones for helping him through the difficult period, saying:
“First of all, I want to thank God. I want to thank Showtime, Al Haymon, the boxing family, my father Angel Garcia. My corner, team Garcia, and my family at home. I did take a break you know, I was going through some mental things, I felt a little dark. I went through some anxiety, depression, and I just tried my best to stay strong. That’s it.”
A warrior inside and outside of the ring @DannySwift 🙏
#GarciaBenavidez https://t.co/62KF785uuk
Danny Garcia teared up during the interview. The entire crowd at the Barclays Center cheered for him. While Jose Benavidez Jr. has demanded a rematch, it’s Garcia’s time to relish in his victory and cement himself back into a pugilistic flow.
The 160lb division can offer him some good fights. Danny Garcia could also move down to his natural weight category and continue his stint. After a failed attempt at Errol Spence Jr.’s welterweight belts in 2020, ‘Swift’ desperately needed a win. While he has now earned one, it's time to grab a few more under his name.
What's next for Danny Garcia after beating Jose Benavidez Jr.?
Garcia did what he set out to do inside the ring on Saturday, and that was overpowering Jose Benavidez Jr.. That said, he was perhaps expected to do it in the best way possible. Benavidez is an A-lister and one of the best on the current middleweight roster, so it was demanded that Garcia outworked his rival.
The upcoming fights at 160lbs, however, could demand a lot more from ‘Swift’. While ‘GGG’ is moving up to face Canelo Alvarez at 168lbs, Garcia can march towards the middleweight world titles, which are under the reigns of Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, and Erislandy Lara, as well as Golovkin.
Meanwhile, Garcia has already called out Keith Thurman for a rematch. So, 'Swift' has a lot of options available.