Ryan Garcia will face Gervonta Davis on April 22 at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas, Nevada. Around “King Ry” a controversy has arisen, is the boxer from the United States or Mexico?
Garcia has entered the ring with the flag of the United States and Mexico, with tricolor clothing and with the stars and stripes, but the fighter does not speak Spanish, so doubts arise about the fighter’s birthplace.
The champion’s full name is Ryan Garcia Diaz, he was born on August 8, 1998 in Victorville, California, United States. His parents are Henry Garcia and Lisa Diaz.
Why does he come out with the Mexican flag?
Ryan Garcia has Mexican blood, although his parents were born in the United States, his ancestors are Mexican.
Henry Garcia’s family is from Anahuac, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, his parents, Ryan’s grandparents, migrated to the United States in the middle of the last century. Henry was born in Chicago, but speaks Spanish fluently.
Lisa Diaz was born in New Mexico, but her family has very strong roots in Mexico. Lisa’s ancestors lived in New Mexico when it was Mexican territory. During the war against the United States between 1846 and 1847, the Mexicans lost that land to the Americans.
But Lisa Diaz’s family had been living there since then, which is why she and her loved ones consider themselves Mexican.
“We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us. We always say in New Mexico that it was Mexico. My family was there when it was Mexico, when there were Apaches and people from Spain,” Lisa commented in an interview to the YouTube channel “No Puedes Jugar Boxeo”.
Henry considers himself Mexican, and is very proud that his son is, too. His son Ryan Garcia doesn’t speak Spanish, but his father says that in boxing you don’t talk, you throw punches.