Tiburcio García, Mexican boxing trainer behind champions, dies

Tiburcio García, the Mexican trainer who worked with several world champions, has died. His boxing journey included more than 100 amateur contests and 30 professional fights before coaching became the main part of his life.

He learned the trade under manager Arturo “Cuyo” Hernández and moved into training at the Nuevo Jordán Gym. García started working with Cristóbal Rosas in 1985, assisting young fighters and building the knowledge that later made him a prominent figure at Romanza Gym.

A major stage of his career began in 1989, when he joined the camp led by Hall of Fame trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristáin. García contributed to the work of Gilberto Román, Daniel Zaragoza, Víctor Rabanales, Melchor Cob, José Luis Bueno, Ricardo “Finito” López, Humberto “Chiquita” González and Jorge “Maromero” Páez. He also played a role during the early years of Rafael and Juan Manuel Márquez, and worked with Guty Espadas.

His coaching path later took him to the Otomí Ceremonial Center, where he joined Erik “El Terrible” Morales’ team in 1998. Three years later, García was at the Temoaya Municipal Gymnasium, a base for fighters such as Jorge “Travieso” Arce, José Luis “Temible” Castillo, José Antonio “El Jaguar” Aguirre, Ricardo “Piolo” Castillo, César Bazán, Cristian “El Italiano” Esquivel, Julio Álvarez and Ahmed Santos. He started training Marco Antonio “Veneno” Rubio and Carlos Cuadras in 2008, with Cuadras having previously won a Pan American bantamweight title.

García’s work also reached Japan. At Green Tsuda Gym, he helped prepare world champions Hiroki Ioka and Keiji Yamaguchi. Alongside his involvement with established professionals, he devoted time to hundreds of amateur boxers, passing on both technical instruction and the values associated with the sport.

The World Boxing Council and its president, Mauricio Sulaimán, paid tribute to García following his death. The WBC said his contribution to the development of champions made him an important member of boxing in Mexico and abroad, while his students and colleagues remembered the lasting effect of his work in the gym and at ringside.