Alex Garcia

Alex had good trainers and good management, which is why he was on television all the time.They got him in line for a $500,000 payday with George Foreman before he lost.
The problem that Alex had, he never got loose in the ring. He started late because he because he was a gang member, got in trouble and did time in various places- youth jails and adult prisons. The tattoos on his body aren't decoration; they indicate where he is from and where he has been.
Because he started late, he was always tense in the ring. If you watch him, you can visibly see him think about what he is going to do next. That tension doesn't make you a better fighter and it doesn't help you take a punch. But he was moved well, all things considered.

 

Loved his fight with Joe Hipp, but I’m obviously a bit biased when it comes to The Boss haha.

 

Just as a point of trivia, I think that Alex Garcia and junior welter contender Hector Lopez were from the same gang in the San Fernando Valley.

 

Minoso Torres??? I always enjoyed watching him on Tuesday Night Fights when he was on the rise. His downfall, while not quite shocking given his late start in boxing, was a bit surprising nonetheless. Loved him in "Diggstown." But, like so many other fighters who did movies in the middle of their careers (Tommy Morrison, Lennox Lewis, Antonio Tarver, etc) it seemed like bad luck for their actual careers. Probably too much of a distraction. And, Garcia didn't have the pedigree to rebuild after those costly losses.

 

A guy I know who lived in the L.A. area when Garcia was fighting said that Garcia sparred Mike Weaver too often and took too many punches in the gym. I don't know if it is true, but since you know the area maybe you do? Another L.A. area heavyweight with gang affiliations was Eddie Lopez.

He was a tough fight for anybody and he fought a lot of the prospects of his time, probably on short notice. He went the distance with John Tate and Gerry Cooney, fought a draw with Leon Spinks that a lot of people thought he won, he beat undefeated Jimmy Abbott in South Africa, fought a draw with undefeated Marcea Simon, and beat S.T. Gordon, and Nick Wells.

 

Any response that mentions Jimmy Abbott and S.T. Gordon in the same sentence deserves applause.

Huzzah, sir.

 

I remember Alex, seems like I saw him get a win over Ossie Ocasio which kind of put him on the contender radar. He then dropped some fights as Mr. magoo said I thought he should have won based on what he brought into the ring. At his best probably a B fighter and when not focused a D.

 

I was always suspicious that Minoso’s fight with Honey Roy Palmer was fixed, but I’m probably just paranoid.

 

He was never the same after the first Dixon fight he was seen as be some great Mexican hope. Even being considered for a title shot with Riddick Bowe.

 

As well as the $500k for a Foreman fight he claimed to have turned down a $1.1m offer to be Bowe's first title defense. ooph.

 

Alex seemed for a period of time to be one big win or a couple of wins over good names away from getting a title shot.

Not that he would have won a heavyweight championship, but he’s almost the definition of fringe contender.