Emmanuel Tagoe Promises “Ghana Pepper” For Ryan Garcia

With the Golden Boy Promotions main event looming Saturday night from the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, most of the attention is focused on the return unbeaten, fan favorite Ryan Garcia. But, Thursday afternoon, his opponent, Emmanuel Tagoe of Ghana, had fun trying to “spice things up.”

The two sat on the same stage for DAZN Streaming/Golden Boy and then, the subject of “Ghana Pepper” was asked of the 33 year old African veteran and he gave more playful info,

“I think everybody can see, the ‘Ghana Pepper.’ Ryan Garcia can see the ‘Ghana Pepper.’ Sometimes if you walk outside, you get fresh air…you enter the ring, you start feeling heat. You start feeling the pepper. I think that very night that everybody can see. You’ll see,” Tagoe said with a bit of a smile.

For his part, Garcia played along, “One thing to say about ‘Ghana Pepper,’ He forgot that I’m Mexican and we got all the spice. I been eating spicy stuff my whole life. So, there aint no ‘Ghana Pepper’ gonna doing nothing to me. I got Jalapenoes. We do that all day.”

So, “seasoning comparisons” aside, we’re ready to see the top ranked 135 lb. Garcia get back in the ring for the first time since January of 2021.

That’s when he got his most credible win of his 21-0 pro career with a TKO over England’s Luke Campbell in Dallas. The Californian had been slated to potentially fight Haney after that, but instead was trying to make a bout with either Gervonta Davis or potentially, Manny Pacquiao at the beginning of the year. However, those two huge names both passed on the possibility of fighting him.

He hasn’t been in the ring in 14 months and has canceled out of two previous headlining fights last July and this past November.

The 23 year old Garcia announced in October that he suffered a hand injury while training to fight fellow Lightweight contender Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz. That was a WBC contender showdown that would’ve set the winner up to face champion Devin Haney. Instead, Diaz proceeded directly to the title shot, losing a one-sided 12 round decision in their December bout.

Garcia has also split with trainer Eddy Reynoso and by extension, Canelo Alvarez and now, has famed championship trainer/Fox Sports analyst Joe Goosen working with him.

As for Tagoe, he’s is 32-1 with 15 KOs. And, he’s also been inactive for longer than Garcia with his last bout coming in November 2020 in South Florida. That’s when he decisioned Mason Menard over 10 rounds.

Tagoe lost his first pro fight in June of 2004, but has now won 32 straight since. Tagoe has only fought outside of Africa on two previous occasions.

But, he’s in San Antonio and ready to bring, “spices” and a challenge to Garcia Saturday night.