“I feel he’s got that little swagger and movement that might help him out”
Everton supremo James Rodriguez could potentially make it as a boxer, according to Ryan Garcia.
Garcia was speaking to JOE ahead of his January showdown with British boxer Luke Campbell on DAZN.
Currently the WBC Silver lightweight champion and one of the highest-rated fighters in the world in his weight class, the 22-year-old was asked to name the footballers he thought could potentially make it in the ring.
For Garcia, the Everton and Colombia playmaker sprung to mind.
“There’s actually a lot, but James Rodriguez I feel has got that little swagger, that movement done, coordination.
“I feel he’s got that swagger that might help him out.”
Garcia, who has recently trained alongside Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, then went onto claim Cristiano Ronaldo could make a successful transition to boxing.
“Ronaldo’s just a beast overall – as a specimen. You wouldn’t want to step in the ring with him if he really knew his stuff because one, he’s got the mindset and two he’s so competitive.”
When asked if he supported a team, Garcia said: “I wouldn’t say I support a team, no. But I do support Ronaldo’s team.
“Me and him are pretty cool. He wants to go to one of my fights, so obviously I’m gonna cheer for his team. He shows me a lot of love and he’s probably the most popular person in the world – he even DMs me on Instagram.”
Garcia, who identifies with both American and Mexican heritage, said he enjoys football more for the players than the teams.
“I’m a pretty big soccer fan, but it’s just the players I like.
“I only like watching it live, not on TV – but my favourite players are Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldinho… and just the main ones.”
Watch Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell live on DAZN on 2 January
