RYAN Garcia found fame and fortune overnight after becoming a viral sensation – but his first big contract didn’t last long.
Garcia is one of boxing’s biggest stars, with an army of fans and more than 10 million followers on Instagram.
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His online antics have made him almost as famous as his devastating performances in the ring.
And it all started for Garcia when he was just a teenager, showing off his sensational hand speed in the gym in front of a cameraman.
His mind-blowing combinations, almost too fast to capture with the naked eye, were captured on film and posted on social media.
And when Garcia went to bed and woke up, he was an overnight sensation and a boxing newcomer to watch.
“There’s a gym and I remember the photographer decided to record me hitting the bag,” he said DAZN.
“I just made a normal video, he posted it on his Facebook and I never thought anything about it. I wake up and everyone is talking about me.
“Then I exploded like crazy and everyone started supporting me and from then on everything I posted was huge.
“It’s a lot of pressure, kind of. It’s kind of overwhelming.”
Garcia was already a top contender at the time, having amassed a 215-15 record with multiple titles to his name.
He then turned professional at age 17 in Mexico before announcing himself to the American market at age 18.
Garcia’s viral videos meant he was already a familiar face in boxing circles, but he proved he had the talent to back it up.
A stoppage was so impressive that he received a $50,000 contract – but the pay packet was knocked out just as quickly as his opponent.
“The first fight I had on TV after I exploded on the internet, I knocked the guy out in 30 seconds on ESPN,” said Garcia, now 25 years old.
“So it was crazy. It was then that the manager gave me a check for US$50,000 – and I spent it within a week! I didn’t care, even if we were broke.
“I was like, ‘I’ll pay the rent, but I need to buy some shit.’ Because I always believed it would be great. I always believed that.
“I never had the feeling that I couldn’t do it.”
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Garcia quickly became one of the hottest prospects on the scene, but it was too much for the teenage phenom.
“I’ve had mental health issues since I was 17,” he bravely opened up.
“At first it was extreme anxiety, OCD, when I was becoming a rising star.
“Every post I posted got a million likes, a million likes. I was becoming a bona fide star.”
“There was a lot of pressure on him, but he never wanted to stop,” said his father Henry, who is also one of his coaches.
“If you have a child like that and you see that he is gaining more than he is losing, that means he really wants this.”
Garcia suffered his first defeat last year, losing in seven rounds to rival Gervonta Davis, 29, in a highly successful fight.
I exploded like crazy and everyone is supporting me and from then on everything I posted was huge. It’s a lot of pressure, right? It’s kind of overwhelming
Ryan Garcia
But he returned to winning ways in December, stopping Oscar Duarte, 28, to earn a shot at old foe Devin Haney, 25.
The pair holed out six times in the amateurs, drawing three each, setting up a true Game 7 on Saturday in New York.
Garcia raised concerns in the lead-up to the pay-per-view fight with erratic behavior online and at media events.
And questions remain about how seriously he is taking his first world title shot.
“A lot of people have the misconception that I don’t train much and that I’m not disciplined and I think people want to see me like that,” Garcia said.
“They want to find something wrong with me. I know how to brake, I know how to stay focused, I know how to press the button. If it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”
“I’m a little manic and a little crazy. I don’t know how he’s going to stop me,” he added.
“This is my only opportunity now, for me it feels like a do or die moment. I promise you, this will be an unforgettable moment.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
