Real name Roberto Garcia Cortez Weight 62 kg Nickname(s) Grandpa Name Robert Garcia Martial art Boxing | Reach 68 in (174 cm) Role Professional Boxer Siblings Miguel Angel Garcia Nationality American Height 1.74 m | |
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Rated at LightweightSuper featherweightFeatherweight Similar People Brandon Rios, Miguel Angel Garcia, Antonio Margarito, Nonito Donaire, Fernando Vargas | ||
Robert garcia highlight reel
Roberto Garcia Cortez (born January 29, 1975), best known as Robert Garcia, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2001, and held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1998 to 1999. He has since worked as a boxing trainer, and was voted Trainer of the Year by The Ring magazine in 2011, and by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2012. Garcia is the older brother of professional boxer Mikey Garcia, who himself is a former junior lightweight world champion.
Contents
- Robert garcia highlight reel
- Robert garcia explains why he let the boxing academy go
- Early life
- Amateur career
- Professional career
- NABF super featherweight champion
- NABF featherweight champion
- IBF super featherweight champion
- WBA super featherweight title challenge and retirement
- Training career
- Notable boxers trained
- References
Robert garcia explains why he let the boxing academy go
Early life
Born in San Pedro, Los Angeles, Garcia grew up and still resides in Oxnard, California, and was trained by his father Eduardo Garcia at the La Colonia Youth Boxing Club. Garcia said that he has been in Oxnard, California, since he was two years old. Garcia said that he considers himself to be a Mexican, and Garcia said that his father and mother are both of Mexican descent. Garcia said that his parents were illegal immigrants until the eighties. Garcia said that he grew up speaking Spanish, and Garcia said that he learned to speak English when he went to school.
Amateur career
Garcia had an extensive amateur career, which included a fight with future Olympic Gold Medalist Oscar De La Hoya.
Professional career
Known as "Grandpa", Garcia won his pro debut against Tsutomu Hitono at the International Center in Fukuoka, Japan. He accumulated a record of 20–0, which included a win against future champion Derrick Gainer, before challenging for his first regional title.
NABF super featherweight champion
In 1995 he took down the previously unbeaten American Julian Wheeler to win his first belt, the NABF Super Featherweight Championship. He successfully defended his Championship just three months later against Francisco Segura.
NABF featherweight champion
At the Miami Arena, Garcia moved down to Featherweight and beat Darryl Pinckney to win the NABF Featherweight Championship.
IBF super featherweight champion
On March 13, 1998 a then undefeated Garcia (29–0) captured the vacant IBF Super Featherweight Championship with a unanimous decision win over Harold Warren. In his first title defense he knocked out Cuban Ramon Ledon at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
His next fight was against two-time World Champion, Puerto Rico's John John Molina. Garcia defeated Molina over twelve rounds; that fight card also featured Mike Tyson, Zab Judah, and Fres Oquendo. He lost the belt in an upset to rising undefeated phenom Diego Corrales. After a win over title contender Sandro Marcos he moved back up in the world rankings.
WBA super featherweight title challenge and retirement
In January 2001, he earned a shot at the undefeated WBA Super Featherweight champion Joel Casamayor. Casamayor won the fight and Garcia retired shortly after beating veteran John Trigg by knockout.
Training career
Garcia formally worked as a trainer at La Colonia Gym in Oxnard, California. Notable fighters who have trained under Garcia include Nonito Donaire. Most recently he opened his own boxing gym named Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California.