When Ryan Garcia left Canelo Álvarez’s camp in 2022, veteran trainer Joe Goossen opened his doors to “King Ry” and worked with him in Chula Vista, not only on his boxing skills but also on his mental game.
At the time Goossen described him as a 23-year-old who was “becoming a man” ahead of the fight that the Mexican American easily won against Emmanuel Tagoe. Goossen also worked with García on his knockout victory over Javier Fortuna.
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But after a knockout loss to Gervonta Davis in 2023, the two parted ways.
This year fate brought them together again, but not in the same corner.
Read more: Ryan Garcia set to return to the ring in a title fight against Mario Barrios
Goossen is the new trainer of Mario Barrios (29-2-2, 18 knockouts), the World Boxing Council welterweight champion and next challenge for Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) on Feb. 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be broadcast by DAZN pay-per-view.
On Thursday at a news conference in Hollywood, Garcia called Goossen a “traitor,” while the legendary trainer defended himself by saying boxing is a business and that there was nothing personal about coaching Barrios.
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When he parted ways with Goossen, Garcia hired Derrick James to prepare him for his 2023 win over Oscar Duarte. Garcia continued to work with James during his 2024 victory over Devin Haney, which was reversed to a no contest because Garcia tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The day before the fight, Garcia failed to make weight, so he already had lost the opportunity to win the WBC super-lightweight title.
Garcia was suspended for a year, a period the Victorville native describes as a time when he “didn’t think about boxing.”
Ryan Garcia speaks during a prefight news conference at Avalon Hollywood on Thursday. (Melina Pizano / Getty Images)
“People assumed I was in the gym, but I wasn’t in the gym,” Garcia said. “I didn’t care about boxing.”
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He returned against Rolando Romero last May with his father, Henry Garcia, in his corner, lost by unanimous decision and appeared to be far from his best physical condition.
“They gave me two months to prepare for the fight and I had to lose 30 pounds, and I was doing a lot of things I shouldn’t have been doing in camp,” Garcia acknowledged.
“We definitely learned from that mistake.”
After the loss, Garcia took time off to undergo surgery on his right hand.
“I recovered miraculously. I literally started lifting weights a week and a half after the surgery and miraculously recovered. There was no problem. I didn’t think I would heal so quickly,” Garcia said.
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Read more: The rise and fall of Ryan Garcia: Embattled boxer wants to be the relatable anti-hero
Garcia once again will have his father in his corner, relying on “his instinct and his heart.”
In the eight months since he last fought, Garcia said he spent his time reevaluating many things. He said he put his drug problems behind him. Henry Garcia says his son is now 100% ready.
Barrios needed a trainer after fighting Manny Pacquiao to a majority draw last July and deciding to part ways with Bob Santos in December. Goossen said he began working with Barrios to prepare for Garcia on Dec. 1.
“I was very grateful and honored that the world champion had called me,” said Goossen, 72.
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“Bob Santos explained to me that it didn’t matter who he was facing; Barrios needed another trainer. It just so happened that the fight turned out to be against Ryan,” said Goossen, known for training the late former champion Diego “Chico” Corrales.
Joe Goossen and Ryan Garcia have words during a news conference at Avalon Hollywood on Thursday. (Melina Pizano / Getty Images)
“The change was going to happen anyway; it just so happened that we got Ryan Garcia now,” Goossen said.
Goossen has trained other world champions, including Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, Joel Casamayor, Shane Mosley and Riddick Bowe.
Barrios, who trained as a child at the Eastside Boys and Girls Club in San Antonio, was a relatively low-profile champion who is now facing fighters the caliber of Davis, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugás and Pacquiao.
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“That has been the dream since I started fighting. Now I am headlining these big arenas. Everything I sacrificed is now paying off,” Barrios said. “It has been a difficult road.”
Barrios has been criticized as an “accessible champion” because he has not beaten big names, although defending his belt against Pacquiao and facing other top fighters added credibility to each fight. A victory against Garcia would be vital to his reign as champion.
“Fighting these great fighters gives me a lot of confidence because I know I can take them on,” Barrios said.
This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.