Garcia in Alamo City searching for the next world champion

Robert Garcia would like nothing better than to discover another fighter like Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

A young, can’t-miss prospect lacking only opportunity, not world championship talent.

But that’s not the main reason the renowned California trainer has expanded his investment in San Antonio boxing, from a boxing gym bearing his name to promoting fight cards showcasing local, up-and-coming boxers.

“I just like coming here,” Garcia said. “The fans are great, and the kids have heart. This is a great boxing town.”

Garcia and his promotional partner, Alvin Valles of San Antonio, have promoted four shows together, most recently a March 1 card at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.

The aim is to provide work for Garcia’s local talent and, at the same time, exposure for San Antonio’s young pros.

Garcia began mining San Antonio’s rich talent pool in 1996 with the opening of the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy on Bandera Road.

The result was a haul of young, skilled fighters led by Rodriguez, who just two years ago at 22 years old after just 15 pro fights became boxing’s youngest world champion.

Bam’s older brother, Joshua Franco, joined Garcia’s stable of fighters and became a world champion before his surprise retirement a year ago at age 27.

The third member of the group, Hector Tanajara, is working his way back into title contention at 27 as a lightweight. He’s currently recovering from an injury and has not fought in the past year.

Garcia’s next wave of San Antonio-area fighters were on display March 1 at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.

They included super bantamweight Daniel Cortez of San Antonio and welterweight Sylvestre Quinonez of Johnson

City.

A third fighter, bantamweight Ethan Perez of San Antonio, was scratched from the show after his opponent backed out at the 11th hour.

Cortez (8-0, 5 KOs) remained undefeated with a second-round TKO of 39-year-old Carlos Borruel (1-6) of Los Angeles.

“Daniel is improving in the gym, sparring and doing things the right way,” Garcia said. “Bam developed a little faster, but Daniel will get there.”

Other fighters on the March 1 card, not currently part of the Garcia brand, showed off their talents, too.

Female fighter Ravven Brown of San Antonio appeared rusty but powerful in a unanimous decision win over Karla Valenzuela Garcia of Mexico, while another San Antonian, two-time national amateur champion David Cardenas remained unbeaten at 5-0 with a four-round victory on points over Steveen Angeles Cruz of Mexico.

A crowd of 1,310 was in attendance.

Garcia and Valles are planning more boxing shows from Tech Port arena, starting with a show June 8.

So far, Garcia and Valles appear to have found a winning formula — young San Antonio prospects with good followings all on the same card.

The RGBA gym moved to Loop 410 and Jackson-Keller in recent months, and goes by the name Boxers and Brawlers.

Garcia has other young fighters from Texas, including Vergil Ortiz Jr. from Dallas. He’s worked with such notables Anthony Joshua, Marcos Maidana, Nonito Donaire, Jose Ramirez and younger brother Mikey Garcia in his career as a trainer.

Robert Garcia’s connection with the Alamo City started in 1995 when, as a fighter, he scored a dramatic 12th-round TKO of Francisco Segura at Freeman Coliseum.

“San Antonio is my favorite spot,” Garcia said. “Texas has always been good to us.”