Garcia Primed for a Performance Worthy of Oscar : Boxing: He realizes the dangers of fighting--in the ring and on the streets.

They are linked by their last name and their profession but nothing more, said Oxnard boxer Robert Garcia of the late Jimmy Garcia, a Colombian junior lightweight who died after suffering head injuries in a May 6 loss to Gabe Ruelas of Sylmar.

Robert Garcia sat at ringside and watched as Ruelas hammered Jimmy Garcia for nearly 11 rounds before the fight was stopped. Garcia, 23, collapsed after leaving the ring, immediately underwent surgery and lay in a coma for 13 days before succumbing.

Robert Garcia prayed for the stricken fighter and silently questioned the dangers of the boxing profession. But he never considered quitting, remaining confident that he would avoid a similar fate. His insurance policies, he said, are a rigorous training regimen and a smart trainer--his father, Eduardo.

“He wasn’t getting hit enough for the ref to stop the fight,” Garcia said about the late fighter. “But his corner should have stopped it three rounds earlier. They should have known he was getting hurt.”

Eduardo Garcia, 50, has trained his son Robert for each of his 21 professional bouts--all victories. He insists he would never risk the health of his son or any fighter he trains because he sends only well-conditioned athletes into the ring.

Eduardo ended his oldest son’s career at 22 fights. Danny had an 18-4 record but when Eduardo saw his training habits slip, he told his son he was through. Danny didn’t fight again.

“Nobody knows better than a trainer what condition a fighter is in,” Eduardo said. “If a fighter is not in condition, it doesn’t matter if it’s my son or not, I would not let him fight.”

Both Garcias said they worried about Jimmy Garcia before the fight, saying he lost too much weight too quickly before the bout. Reports indicated Garcia lost up to 30 pounds in the weeks before the fight to make the 130-pound limit.

Robert Garcia shakes his head solemnly when he refers to the weight loss, saying he never wavers more than a couple of pounds from his fighting weight of 130.

“I’m always 100% focused and feel real strong,” he said. “After a fight, I rest for a day or two and then start training again. He wasn’t prepared to fight and that’s probably the main reason he got hurt.”

Garcia worries that his sport has been hurt by Jimmy Garcia’s death and disagrees with those who call for the use of headgear among pros. Robert defends boxing, saying it does for more good than harm.

“The death makes everybody think about the sport but it’s not a bad sport,” he said. “More stuff happens out on the street. Boxing keeps people off the street.”

Still, he admits the incident kindled his own fear--not of his death but of causing someone else’s.

“I don’t think about risking myself but I’m probably scared that I would do it to somebody,” he said. “I throw hard punches and try to take the guy out as soon as I can.

“What if something happened to my opponent? Would I quit? I would probably still fight but if it happened I’m not sure. I don’t know the answer.”