Danny Garcia had a successful return to the ring Saturday night, defeating José Benavidez Jr. in his first fight since December of 2020.
After the victory, Garcia explained what he went through during the absence and why this win meant so much to him.
“I did take a break, going through mental things,” he said. “I went through some anxiety, depression, I was just trying my best to stay strong.”
Garcia went into detail to describe what caused his mental health issues, and how he was able to overcome them on this particular night.
“It was the pressure of life, the pressure of boxing, being a good dad,” he said. “I’m just letting it out right now because it was stuck inside, it rained on me for a year and a half and the only way to get better is to fight and to win, and I’m a fighter, it’s what I do and love to do. If you battle anxiety and depression, you can get over it, that's what I did tonight.”
Garcia, who was at one point 33-0, was just 3-3 in his last six fights, one his first fight in a new weight class by majority decision. His new goal is to find success in the 154-pound division, a class where he seems comfortable despite dominating a class lower throughout his career.
