By Jake Donovan

Never one to settle for what he’s accomplished as the best he can do, Ryan Garcia continues to prove wise well beyond his youthful existence.

The unbeaten 20-year old super featherweight from Los Angeles—already earning Prospect of the Year honors by several major outlets in 2017—has always made sure to surround himself with the right people in his career. Another strong entity has been added to the team, as Garcia announced that he will begin working with famed trainer Eddy Reynoso.

“Big announcement,” Garcia (16-0, 13KOs) alerted his massive social media following, including well beyond one million followers on his verified Instagram account. “I am now (training) with Eddy Reynoso (as) well as my dad.”

Reynoso is best known for his career-long work with boxing superstar and reigning World middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. It’s been quite an amazing second half to 2018 for the A-list trainer from Mexico, who this past summer has begun working with unbeaten featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez.

“I’ve seen him throughout his career,” Reynoso told BoxingInsider.com via translator. “I know how he is. We are going to work on his defense, on his counter punching and on other things to (complement) his natural abilities.”

The two will begin working together immediately, a move that is as necessary as it is convenient. The other major development this week in Garcia’s career came in his being informed of his next fight date.

“I will be fighting December 15th at Madison Square Garden,” Garcia announced on Tuesday. “I’m honored to fight at such a legendary venue. I’m coming to New York. So all my fans from out there will finally get to see me.”

The bout—versus a yet-to-be-determined opponent—will come on the undercard of Alvarez’ challenge of secondary super middleweight titlist Rocky Fielding.

Both Alvarez and Garcia will make their respective MSG debuts, neither having ever previously fought in New York or anywhere in the U.S. east of Texas.

The show will air live on DAZN, the first show under a new pact formed between the sports streaming service and Golden Boy Promotions, who promotes both boxers. Alvarez’ own deal with the platform is the richest guaranteed contract in sports history, with the December 15 show the first of an 11-fight, $365 million agreement.

Golden Boy’s end secures fight dates for its young and growing stable, including boxers such as Garcia who is already a sizeable draw in the SoCal area and a major presence both on TV and online.

His pairing with Golden Boy was a natural fit, joining Oscar de la Hoya’s California-based outfit after his sixth pro fight. The early portion of his career took place in Mexico, fighting as a 17-year old following an incredible amateur career which boasted an eye-popping 285-15 ring record along with 15 National Gold medals.

Garcia’s first fight in the U.S. came shortly after his 18th birthday, signing with Golden Boy two months later. His rise to early fame has been well publicized, including a quick transition from new recruit to bona fide prospect in 2017.

After earning Prospect of the Year honors from several outlets including ESPN.com, Garcia and his team opted to step up the competition level in 2018. The results have been mixed, although he’s found a different way to win in each of his three ring appearances this year.

Less competitive wins over Fernando Vargas and Jayson Velez earlier this year were overshadowed by his most recent bout in September. Garcia managed to draw an audience for his Facebook Live-streamed headliner, but struggled at times in a majority decision win over durable trialhorse Carlos Morales.

By his own admission, there remain elements of Garcia’s game that require vast improvement, including stamina and defense. It’s easy enough to chalk it up to growing pains, but Garcia and his team refused to leave anything to chance.

Now, he’s prepared to leave the next step in the capable hands of one of the very best cornermen in boxing today.

“We will start (Thursday),” Reynoso informed BoxingInsider.com “We’ve had two meetings, and for me he is a very dedicated, eager and disciplined fighter. You see he likes to learn.”

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