Ryan Garcia now has over 12.2 million Instagram followers and has exploded in popularity recently.
The fighter a few years ago when he spoke last to Arak and Barak only had around two million followers (which he knows mean nothing in reality anyway — focusing on himself is key he understands now).
Catching up with Arak and Barak since then for the first time he said:
“Yeah. A lot’s happened. In the beginning I was trying to prove myself so much. What kind of fighter I am and kind of getting away from that Instagram stuff. But I always thought it’s part of the game. I feel like now all the fighters are catching on to that. Everybody’s like ‘Okay that’s what you’re supposed to do.’”
He added:
“I always felt like any fighter complaining about it wanted followers anyway. They wanted that attention. It comes with the territory. Things evolved and I threw one of the biggest fights in history with Tank Davis. Then went on to beat Devin Haney. Regardless of what they say.”
Garcia finds himself part of a new golden age for the sport where many new champions and stars continue to break through.
The level of attention boxing as a sport is getting is only because the best are fighting the best a bit more frequently now than before.
That is still improving rapidly too every day.
