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“I Pray for You”: Oscar Valdez Breaks His Silence on Ryan Garcia’s Public Meltdown

Published 03/18/2024, 7:25 AM EDT

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Ryan Garcia has been on a social media rant for quite a while, making some of the most outrageous claims that have put people in a weird spot. Is he faking it, or is something more sinister afoot? Besides Garcia and the people closest to him, no one knows the truth. Meanwhile, former stablemate Oscar Valdez has finally broken his silence. 

The pair go way back when Garcia used to train in Canelo Alvarez’s gym! Even though Garcia walked out, claiming Eddy Reynoso didn’t have time for him, Valdez has always supported the Victorville native. So, when probed about his thoughts on Garcia’s situation during an interview with Fight Hub TV today, the Nogales, Mexico resident hoped Garcia would recover. 

Oscar Valdez could not believe Garcia’s stories

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Answering Manouk Akopyan from Fight Hub, Valdez recalled what Garcia was like during their time in Canelo’s gym. “I only know [Ryan Garcia] being in the gym. He’s a good guy, [a] good kid. If I can say something – that kid works hard, he’s very talented, and is an overall good kid, man,” said Oscar ‘The King’ Valdez. 

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Reflecting on Garcia’s deteriorating mental health, Valdez stated, “[I] Love Ryan, [so] it’s sad to see him like that… I have no answers to it. I can’t expect [what] to say [to] everything you see on social media.” Valdez hoped that the closest people to Ryan Garcia could help him with whatever he was going through because “Those stories were unbelievable to me like wow, really? You saw this, you saw that, everything he is saying, it’s just too crazy for me.”

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While hoping Garcia gets better, Valdez suggested if everything Garcia has been claiming is true, then “God bless you, man. I pray for you, and hopefully, you’ll be fine,” said Valdez. What’s more, this isn’t even the first time the former WBO featherweight champion has supported Garcia. 

Valdez was there for Ryan Garcia when no one else was

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Back in April last year, Garcia took on the biggest fight of his career against undefeated Gervonta Davis. Followed by a brutal body shot, the Victorville native was forced to take a knee, which fans and pundits alike interpreted as Garcia giving up. It had garnered a lot of criticism for Garcia, but his former stablemate stood by him.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas after the fight on 26 April last year, Valdez stated, “I hear a lot of comments. People [who are] saying, ‘he could’ve got up, he should’ve done this, should’ve done that,’ but a lot of these guys that say that – I feel like they never got hit to the body. Those body shots, they hurt.” 

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Despite what could very well be nothing more than a promotional stunt, Oscar Valdez has decided to stand by Ryan Garcia, hoping he will recover from his mania. However, whether Valdez’s wish comes true or not is yet to be seen. As of right now, Garcia has stopped his social media activity following a mental health evaluation order from the New York Boxing Commission. What do you think? Do you share his sentiment about Garcia? 

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Written by:

Sudeep Sinha

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Sudeep Sinha is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. His string of noteworthy coverages includes USA Boxing’s new controversial guidelines, Francis Ngannou’s stunning boxing debut, and Amanda Serrano’s tussle with the WBC. Sudeep continues to contribute valuable insights with his passionate understanding of the ins and outs of the sport.
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Edited by:

Snigdhaa Jaiswal