Los Angeles Times

Garcia inherited fighting spirit from devoted father

- By Lance Pugmire

As Mikey Garcia pauses to consider walking through the Dallas Cowboys’ massive AT&T Stadium accompanie­d by his father and brother, he repeats the word “unbelievab­le.”

“There’s nothing more special than that, nothing more I can ask for,” Garcia said. “Everything my dad started I’m adding to. In the same corner. In that stadium. All those fans. Millions gathered around the world in their homes to watch us.

“From a man who started it all, who started in Mexico with a fourth-grade education … to be here right now is unbelievab­le.”

Saturday night on Fox pay-per-view, Oxnard’s fourdivisi­on world champion Garcia (39-0, 30 knockouts) moves up two weight classes to challenge Internatio­nal Boxing Federation welterweig­ht champion Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 KOs) of Texas.

The journey began with Garcia’s father and assistant trainer, Eduardo Garcia, now 74, who crossed the border from Mexico and spent more than 20 years picking strawberri­es in the fields off the Ventura Freeway.

“The most I ever made in one day was $70, and that was in the final years,” Eduardo Garcia said.

The patriarch’s later years in the fields coincided with his peak years as a boxing trainer. Eduardo Garcia was the cornerman for both former super-welterweig­ht

champion Fernando Vargas and Garcia’s own son, former super-featherwei­ght champion Robert Garcia, who won his first title 21 years ago this week.

“I will never forget seeing my parents coming home from the strawberry fields, looking through their bags to see if they had any leftover Doritos bags he’d buy,” said Mikey Garcia, who was 11 in 1998.

“My parents’ story is a great example of the American dream. Their struggles, their hard work for a better family … it inspires — that no matter how bad it might seem, you can always move past that and better yourself.”

Despite Robert’s worldtitle belt, Eduardo still had work to do. He committed to picking for the entire strawberry season from January to July of that year out of loyalty.

“The last day, I told my boss, ‘This is my final day. Thank you for the work you’ve given me,’ ” Eduardo Garcia said. “I was happy that there was a new future for me, but I was sad because that’s what I was accustomed to doing for several years: working.

“When I came from Mexico, I didn’t have anything, no land to work on and I’d just got married. I came here for the correct reasons: to work. The majority of people who come here are coming to better their family.”

In a household conversati­on a few years later, Mikey, who hadn’t boxed, listened to his father tell him, “Everything I have when I die will be yours.”

Then 14, Mikey responded, “I see how hard you work. I see all the sacrifices and everything you do for me … I’m not waiting for you to die. I’m going to give you something. I’m going to make your life better.”

Mikey ventured to the 2003 National Junior Olympic tournament in Alexandria, La., winning nine fights to reach a final he lost by a split decision. “If I can make it to the final,” he thought to himself, “there may be a gift here.”

The thought prevailed even after Mikey gained an associate of arts degree and went through a police academy.

“There’s other times you should fight with your intelligen­ce. That’s something I’ve always tried to follow,” Mikey Garcia said. “My dad’s saying is, ‘Pelea con inteligenc­ia primero y luego con valor’ — fight smart first, and then fight brave. I’ve always thought of that.”

Garcia said he’s ready to display both his intelligen­ce and his power.

“No one has seen me in those [ultimate] situations, but I know I’m up to it,” he said. “My dad knows. You don’t breed a fighting rooster from a regular chicken coop. It comes from the blood, the lineage. My brother fought like that. My dad has it in him. My nephew was just fighting, his nose was all bloody and he wouldn’t stop. Why? Because it’s in the blood.”

Garcia expects his full boxing heart to be revealed against the bigger Spence, who could weigh 10 pounds or more than Garcia on fight night after post-weigh-in rehydratio­n.

Should he win, Garcia will have defeated three unbeaten champions in three separate divisions within one year’s time.

“I’ve never wanted to win a fight as much as I want to win this one,” Garcia said. “It’s going to put me where I want my legacy to be — as one of the greatest to ever lace them up.”

‘My dad’s saying is ... “fight smart first, and then fight brave.” I’ve always thought of that.’ — Mikey Garcia

 ?? Alex Gallardo Associated Press ?? MIKEY GARCIA will put his unbeaten record on the line Saturday night against Errol Spence Jr.
Alex Gallardo Associated Press MIKEY GARCIA will put his unbeaten record on the line Saturday night against Errol Spence Jr.
 ?? Elsa Garrison Getty Images ?? MIKEY GARCIA’S father, Eduardo, spent more than 20 years picking strawberri­es near Oxnard.
Elsa Garrison Getty Images MIKEY GARCIA’S father, Eduardo, spent more than 20 years picking strawberri­es near Oxnard.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States