Robert Garcia Demands Equal Security for Fighters on Canelo Riyadh Card
Garcia fears his fighter will not get the same protection as Canelo in Saudi Arabia.
Trainer Robert Garcia is raising alarm about what he calls unequal security treatment for fighters traveling to Riyadh for the October 31 Canelo Alvarez card.
Garcia's fighter Lindolfo Delgado is set to challenge Artur Biyarslanov for the vacant IBF light welterweight title on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli. But Garcia told Boxing News 24 he fears his team will not receive the same level of protection as the card's headliner.
"Canelo's fight might happen because, like I told you, he's secured. Not us. We're not secured," Garcia said. The veteran trainer expects Canelo's camp to get private travel and top-tier security while his team flies commercial and navigates public airports without comparable protection.
Garcia acknowledged the situation puts him in a difficult position. "If they tell us, you guys are all traveling together, then we're fine, but I don't think that's the case," he said. His tone, per Boxing News 24, was more uneasy than defiant.
The stakes are significant. If Garcia refuses to travel without better security assurances, organizers could find a replacement opponent for Biyarslanov, and Delgado would lose his shot at a world title. It is the kind of leverage imbalance that undercard fighters face constantly, only this time the destination adds a layer of genuine concern about safety. Delgado, a Mexican fighter trained by Garcia in California, has been building toward a title opportunity for years.
This is the part of Saudi boxing that nobody in the promotional offices wants to talk about. The headliners get the red carpet. Private jets, security details, handlers at every step. The undercard guys get told to figure it out.
Garcia is not being unreasonable here. He is asking for basic travel security for a fighter who is putting his career on the line for a vacant world title. Lindolfo Delgado did not choose to fight in Riyadh. The opportunity came with a location attached, and now his trainer has to publicly ask for the same protection that Canelo gets as a matter of course.
If you are going to sell boxing in the Middle East as a premium global product, you cannot treat half the card like afterthoughts. Protect every fighter on the plane, or do not be surprised when camps start turning down these opportunities.
