ONTARIO, California – Elijah Garcia isn’t your typical 19-year-old boxer.
Already three years into his professional career, the powerful southpaw from the greater Phoenix area didn’t think twice when he was asked to fight a strong, undefeated opponent in his debut on national television. Garcia views his step up against Uruguay’s Amilcar Vidal on Saturday night as his path toward winning a middleweight world title by the time he is just 21 or 22 years old.
That’s the goal Garcia and his father/trainer, George Garcia, set when he ambitiously embarked on his professional career in Mexico in February 2020. George Garcia is a retired heavyweight who initially didn’t want his son to box.
Elijah Garcia played basketball, football and soccer as a child, but he quickly took a liking to boxing when he first set foot in his grandfather’s gym at the age of 11.
Just eight years later, Garcia (13-0, 11 KOs) will square off versus Vidal (16-0, 12 KOs) in the 10-round opener of a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader Saturday night at Toyota Arena (9 p.m. ET). Garcia-Vidal will be one of two fights Showtime will air before featherweights Brandon Figueroa and Mark Magsayo fight for the WBC interim 126-pound championship in the 12-round main event.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s an opportunity, but in my eyes it’s my time to shine,” Garcia told BoxingScene.com. “I’m not just a 19-year-old kid. I’m very skilled for my age. You know, I’m only 19 years old, but mentally I’m strong. I don’t break. I want people to know you don’t see a lot of 19-year-olds taking these types of fights.
“I just want everyone to know that I’m different. I’m here to win titles. I’m not here for Instagram and stuff like that. I’m not a social media guy. I’ve got two kids. I live on a farm, so I spend time with my family, I spend time taking care of my animals. I stay out of trouble. I’m not really about looking good for Instagram. I’m 19 years old, but I feel I’m a little more mature than that.”
Becoming a father at 16 gave Garcia the type of responsibility to grow up faster than most teenagers. With a 3-year-old son, Elijah Jr., and a 6-month-old daughter, Maya, home on the family’s farm in Wittmann, Arizona, about 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix, this driven middleweight prospect has all the incentive he needs to win the biggest fight of his career thus far.
“You just get this mindset that you’re not fighting for yourself, you’re fighting for your family,” Garcia said. “You know, mentally it mans you up because, first of all, you don’t wanna get your ass kicked. That’s the first thing, you know? And then I have a son that looks up to me. He expects me to knock everybody out and I can’t let him down. He’s my biggest supporter.”
The 27-year-old Vidal, a Montevideo native who resides and trains in Las Vegas, beat American Immanuwel Aleem by majority decision in his last appearance on U.S. television. Vidal defeated Aleem (18-3-2, 11 KOs) on two scorecards – 97-93, 97-93 and 95-95 – in a 10-rounder that was part of Showtime’s Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano undercard in July 2021 at AT&T Center in San Antonio.
Vidal has since won three straight fights against nondescript opposition in Argentina and Uruguay.
“I’ve watched film on him,” said Garcia, who is represented by TGB Promotions and aligned with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions. “It looks like he hits hard. He looks like a pressure fighter. He’s very long. He has long arms. But we’ll see what happens. For both of us, I think this is a step up in competition. He’s never fought anybody like me and I’ve never fought anybody like him. He’s fought Aleem, but I just think Aleem was a little bit too small. I don’t think he expects me to be this big. I’m a big 160-pounder and, you know, I’ve got a lotta power in my shots. So, we’ll just see what happens. If he wants to exchange with me, I don’t think it’s gonna go well.”
The 6-foot Garcia’s confidence comes partially from his boxing bloodlines. Not only did his father and paternal grandfather fight, one of his mom’s three brothers was a pro.
Garcia, who will turn 20 on April 26, also has drawn inspiration from what fellow fighters from Arizona – namely David Benavidez, Jose Benavidez Jr., Abel Ramos and Jesus Ramos – have accomplished in recent years. The Glendale native believes he will be “the next big face” of boxing in their state, where Garcia has fought six times as a pro.
This week, Garcia is focused on capturing the attention of a nationwide audience that is not yet familiar with what he can do.
“I’m 19 years old, but my biggest thing when I turned pro was me and my dad sat down, we talked and we decided 21, 22, that’s when we wanna fight for a world title,” Garcia said. “If I didn’t take this fight, I wouldn’t have gotten the publicity I needed. This guy’s ranked number nine in the WBC, so once I beat him I know I’m taking his spot and I’m taking his chances and I’m one step closer to getting a belt. And after I win this fight, you know, I might be ahead of schedule. I might be 20 years old fighting for a world title.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.