Mikey Garcia was a highly skilled counterpuncher who won world titles in four weight classes.

He was the youngest of seven children, around boxing from a young age and saw older brother, Robert, and gym mate, Fernando Vargas win the IBF junior lightweight and IBF junior middleweight championships respectively in 1998.

It took time before following his brother into the family business, and after a good amateur career, he made his profesional debut in 2006.

He served his apprenticeship before beating Orlando Salido for the WBO featherweight title.

His star grew and he won world titles at junior lightweight — and after a dispute with Top Rank — lightweight and junior welterweight.

Garcia dared to be great but was too small and lost a wide 12-round points decision to Errol Spence in March 2019. Garcia (40-2, 30 KOs) fought twice more before retiring in 2021.

The now 38-year-old is married, has three children and lives in Riverside.

"Boxing gave me everything I have but is a very jealous sport, very greedy with your time," he told The Ring. "If you want to be great, you've got to dedicate all your time to boxing, which means putting aside other family matters.

"Now I'm retired, it's almost like let me catch up, let me make up. We travel, go on vacation, all over the world."

He stays connected to boxing by visiting his brother's gym a couple of times a week.

"He was at the peak of his career, his record (39-11-2, 27 KOs) didn't show it, but he was the man in the featherweight division. It's going to be one of those fights you're either gonna do it or not. Everybody had me as the underdog based on my lack of experience.

"I was so hungry and motivated for that fight. I had the perfect game plan with my dad and my brother; we worked on this for 10 weeks straight leading up to the fight.

"I dropped him, I think twice in the first round and again in the third and fourth, I had a dominant performance until the eighth round when he broke my nose with the headbutt.

"By the rules they go to the scorecards, I'm way up on points and win my first world championship."

Result: Garcia TD8

"A week before the fight, I get a cold, get a little sick. It's like on a Wednesday, Thursday, so I took the rest of the days [of the week] off. Monday, we fly to Dallas, and I feel better but now I've got to cut weight. Those days prior stumped my weight cut because of the cold I had hurt me. When I did the weight cut, I was in terrible shape, I passed out on two different occasions. I failed to make weight; I was a pound and a half over. I lose my title on the scale.

"Now that I was in such bad shape, my dad is very worried, we're going against a very dangerous opponent, JuanMa Lopez, a heavy hitter, knockout artist. He's very scared of the fight. My brother and manager, Cameron [Dunkin], were asking if I wanted to cancel.

"So then the next day, I have some breakfast, I feel a little bit better, I'll go with the fight. We go to the fight, if nobody knew what I went through the days before they'd think I did great."

Result: Garcia TKO4

"I was off for two-and-a-half years, because of the contractual dispute with Top Rank.

"There's a lot of doubt that I would be able to come back after such a layoff, face a dangerous fighter like Zlaticanin and that adds to the value of that fight. That is a major victory for me.

"The knockout punch was a right hand right to my chin of my opponent but the sequence leading to that was something, my brother, dad and myself, we practiced at the gym throughout the entire training camp.

"When that opportunity presented itself, I saw that in slow motion. I was able to connect my right uppercut, spin to my left, kind of push him with my left — he was a southpaw — as I pivoted. When he turned around to look for me, the overhand right was already on top of him and that gave me the knockout victory."

Result: Garcia KO3

"I fought him at 140-pounds, people were doubting, saying, 'Mikey's a featherweight, what's he doing fighting at 135 and now he's a 140? Adrien Broner's not a small guy, he's a solid 140, who hits very hard.’

"The build-up was different because he is a self-promoter. I had never faced anyone loud and promoting the fight the way he was. He was at times a bit negative, a bit rude but then when we were out back, he was pretty cool.

"I won a clear unanimous decision. The game plan was to box him and beat him with combinations. I wanted to dominate, and I did."

Result: Garcia UD12

"He was undefeated holding the IBF, I was undefeated holding the WBC lightweight title. I had not fought in California for almost 10 years. Coming back now to defend and unify at a sold-out arena.

"It was funny, I had fought Broner the year before and from what I had heard, Broner advised Robert Easter Jr. to not take that fight and go with other fights. Robert Easter Jr. said, 'No, I'll do it.' So when I signed for the fight, I was super excited for it.

"I won that fight and was at the height of my career."

Result: Garcia UD12