While the gym was full of media and acquaintances in a row of chairs just at the top of the stairs sat a woman who looked comfortable, but had an uneasiness about her. She was personable, and keeping her eye on everything going on. Her children were scattered around the gym, twin girls running up and down the stairs. Her sons, one of whom is the star of the show on this particular day, were in the ring.
Danny Garcia is fighting in the main event at the Barclays Center this weekend. It is the first fight in Brooklyn’s new arena, and another test for the rising star. He will be facing Eric Morales for the second time, after winning his first championship belt from the Mexican legend earlier this year. While Garcia is trained by his father, who boxing fans has come to know as a boisterous personality who loves his son, Mom has a say to.
Mrs. Garcia has been watching boxing all of her life; she mentioned an admiration for Oscar De La Hoya, who happens to be her son’s promoter. Her brother was a professional boxer who never quite made it, and it’s been her house since her children were young. It is safe to say she has knowledge of the sport. When it comes to her son taking his turn at the pugilistic profession, she didn’t have a problem with it, but that’s not to say her motherly instincts didn’t. “There was a lot I didn’t understand, like the dieting, but other than that I was ok with it.”
After all, this is a family affair. One has to wonder if there is ever a time in the house that there is no boxing talk, that’s not the case, All boxing, all the time.” and Mrs. Garcia has her say. “After the first Morales fight, even though I was a nervous wreck, I told him I saw some mistakes and I told him ‘I know your better than that’, but I leave it up to them.” Those nerves never really go away. “This whole thing makes me nervous,” she said with a laugh, but she clearly wasn’t joking. There is never a time that she is not nervous for her son. Fight night is hard, “It’s horrible” she says. One thing that has not been horrible is Danny’s results, and if not for the fans, or his father, let’s hope he stays in the win column, for the sake of his mother. She is just too nice to have to worry more than she does.
