Ryan Garcia has undoubtedly become one of the most successful boxers on the planet. The good-looking 24-year-old has combined his striking prowess with a flashy persona to win over a huge fanbase throughout the years. Aside from his lightning-fast speed and stellar knockouts, fans have always been in awe of the way ‘King Ry‘ pays tributes to his Mexican roots.
Fans have always wondered if Garcia hails from the United States or Mexico. In the past, Ryan has entered the squared ring with the flag of America and Mexico, while rocking the Mexican tri-color on his gloves. However, the fast-hitter doesn’t speak the language of Spanish, which has created doubts in his supporters’ minds.
Ryan Garcia Diaz was born in 1998 in Victorville, California to parents Henry and Lisa Garcia. Despite being born in the USA, ‘King Ry’ has Mexican roots. Even though his parents were also born in the States, they carry Mexican ethnicity with them. Henry Garcia’s family is from Anahuac, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Ryan’s grandparents migrated to the States in the middle of the century last year.
Henry was born in Chicago but speaks fluent Spanish. His wife Lisa Diaz was born in New Mexico but also boasts of strong Mexican roots.
Ryan Garcia reveals a stunning Mexican outfit for Tank Davis fight
Ryan also goes by the nickname ‘The Mexican Lion.’ He recently let his fans catch a tiny glimpse into what he may wear during the walkout for his Gervonta Davis fight. In an interview with ESPN, Ryan revealed a tiny portion of the outfit which he has designed in collaboration with several designers.
Going by the sneak peek, Ryan’s outfit seems heavily inspired by Mexican culture and features a lion’s head. It includes other elements as well that represent his heritage. Ryan also sports two lion tattoos on his chest, representing the King of the Jungle.
It is worth noting that this isn’t the first time Ryan has collaborated with high-end designers for his outfits. In his last boxing outing against Javier Fortuna which happened in July 2022, Ryan sported Dior-made custom shorts and gloves.
Gervonta Davis questioned Ryan Garcia’s ancestry
Throughout the course of his career, Ryan has been accused of lying to his fans about his Mexican roots. During one of the pressers leading up to his Davis fight, ‘Tank’ seemed to question his heritage. Gervonta Davis is known to be provocative and throw his opponent off balance during press conferences.
Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia talking spicy at their presser today 😭 pic.twitter.com/2oUM6vfplA
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 9, 2023
Reporters asked Davis if he wanted to send any message to his Mexican supporters. The 28-year-old responded, “Support me, I’m going to fight for you. I love my Mexican fans.” Soon after, he took the opportunity to question Ryan’s heritage. He said, “Ryan, how can he consider himself Mexican if he doesn’t speak any Spanish? He’s not Mexican, really. He’s from Los Angeles.”
ANDY RUIZ SENDS RYAN GARCIA “RAZA” MESSAGE HOURS BEFORE GERVONTA DAVIS FIGHT; SHOWS MEXICAN UNITY #DavisGarcia #boxing
🎥; fight hype pic.twitter.com/n8RQY8LaOk— Syéd Sâlmän (@Salmantheboxing) April 23, 2023
Just hours before the fight, former heavyweight champion and fellow Mexican, Andy Ruiz Jr. took to Twitter to support Ryan Garcia ahead of the Tank Davis showdown.