Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcia is a charismatic and contentious boxer who has transcended the boxing world, establishing himself as a well-known social media figure and cross-cultural celebrity. Garcia has packed plenty into his eight years as a professional boxer, evolving from a raw, fast-handed finisher to a pay-per-view headliner, recently courting controversy. This profile provides an in-depth look at some of the highs and lows and career achievements of the boxer Ryan Garcia.

Ryan Garcia was born in Victorville, California, on August 8, 1998, to Mexican parents Henry and Lisa Garcia. His early life was a rough ride. At the age of seven, he exchanged his baseball bat for boxing gloves, finding a sport that matched his desire for intense, personal competitiveness.

That intensity was ingrained but not always apparent. Garcia described himself as a sensitive child who avoided conflict. And yet, the boldness would occasionally spill over when confronted. Extremely close to his mother, Garcia later spoke in interviews of neighbourhood flash points with other children, sparked mostly over issues of “disrespect”.

Ryan’s competitive spirit led him to the amateur gym, where he aimed to fulfil his dream of representing the USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Exiting the amateur code with a reported record of 215-15, the young man, known by then as ‘The Flash’ due to his blinding hand speed, could not realise his dream of podium glory in Rio. Ryan Garcia won a total of 15 national championships as an amateur.

2014 USA Junior National (Under-17) Championships

Competing in the 125 lbs/junior male category initial preliminary rounds on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, Ryan Garcia, representing Adelanto, California, won a 3-0 decision over Alejandro Guerrero of Irving, Texas. In the next preliminary round, on Wednesday, January 8, Garcia won a 3-0 decision over Christian Torres of Denver, Colorado.

On Friday, January 10, 2014, Ryan Garcia defeated Logan Yoon of Honolulu, Hawaii 3-0 in their semi-final bout. Ryan Garcia lost a 3-0 decision to Devin Haney, Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, January 11, 2014, in the final championship bout at 125 pounds.

2014 USA Junior Olympic National Championships

Ryan Garcia fought in the 57kg category across four days. On June 11, 2014, Garcia defeated Brandon Pizarro 3-0. On June 12, 2014, Ryan Garcia defeated Cervando Carpio 2-1. On June 13, 2014, he won his semi-final 2-1 against Devin Haney. On June 14, 2014, he lost in the final 2-1 to Leon Lawson.

2015 USA Junior National (Under-19) Championships

Monday, January 5, 2015, Preliminary Bouts, Youth Division, 132 lbs/male: Ryan Garcia, Adelanto, Calif., dec. Vergil Ortiz, Grand Prairie, Texas, 2-1. Tuesday, January 6, 2015, 

Preliminary Bouts, Youth Division 132 lbs/male: Ryan Garcia, Vacaville, Calif., dec. Antonio Williams, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 2-1. Wednesday, January 7, 2015, Preliminary Bouts, Youth Division, 132 lbs/male: Devin Haney, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Ryan Garcia, Vacaville, Calif., 3-0.

2016 USA Junior National (Under-19) Championships

Preliminaries 1/8 male, January 6, 2016, 60kg, Ryan Garcia 3-0 Carlos Velasquez, Quarterfinals male, January 7, 2016, 60kg, Ryan Garcia 3-0 Emmanuel Rojas, Semifinals male, January 8, 2016, 60kg, Ryan Garcia 3-0 Delante Johnson, Finals male, January 9, 2016, 60kg, Ryan Garcia 3-0 Bryan Lua.

It quickly became apparent that Ryan appealed to a completely unique boxing demographic, bringing teenage fans along to his fights and following his every move on social media. This buzz was reminiscent of the former star boxer Oscar De La Hoya. Since retiring in 2008, the multi-weight world champion and 1992 Olympic gold medallist had trodden a similar path throughout his own long career. 

Now working in the promotional business, Oscar was searching for a star to follow in his own footsteps and those of Canelo Alvarez, the biggest attraction in his stable. As a fresh-faced, marketable asset from the West Coast, Ryan inked a deal with Golden Boy in the summer of 2016 and made his pro debut.

From Tijuana bars to LA studios, the glitz and glamour had not yet arrived, but Ryan Garcia was kept extremely busy while learning on the job. In 2017, Garcia fought for his first title, the vacant NABF Junior super-featherweight bauble, in a prominent spot on an MGM Grand, Las Vegas card. While the setting and circumstance may have differed, the result was the same: Ryan blasted away Miguel Carrizoza in a single session.

Destroying opponents was becoming a habit, although his two biggest step-ups to date went the distance as first Jayson Velez and then Carlos Morales were outlasted. The latter was a tougher assignment than expected, as Ryan was forced to work hard for the win on his lightweight debut.

Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell

During the pandemic-hit period, on January 2, 2021, in the American Airlines Center, Dallas, Ryan Garcia contested his first major milestone, a WBC Interim title. Britain’s Luke Campbell had won gold at the 2012 Olympic games, but his foray into the professional ranks had not been the enduring success many had hoped for or expected. 

Boxing straight after the turn of the year, Campbell hit Garcia hard in round two and dropped him for the time as a professional. Ryan battled back and landed a fierce body blow on ‘Cool Hand’ Luke in round seven to end the contest. Losing for the fourth and final time, Campbell hung up his gloves. 

Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia

On April 22, 2023, Gervonta Davis boxed Ryan Garcia at lightweight in the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. The lead-up to the contest wavered between touchpoints, although Ryan had not yet descended into the world of conspiratorial interference. Arriving late for their press obligations, Gervonta Davis claimed he had a mole in the Garcia camp, feeding back vital information. Once again, Ryan Garcia tried to assert his physical dominance at their press meetups.

When the fight eventually took place, Garcia was dropped in the second round and, despite being in fantastic shape, still succumbed to a cracking body shot as ‘Tank’ dissected his ribs in the seventh. There was no shame in the manner of defeat, even though some felt ‘King Ry’ accepted his fate a little too easily. The Californian had his moments but struggled with Davis’ southpaw jab and next-level punching power. 

Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia

After losing to Gervonta Davis, Garcia signed to fight old amateur rival Devin Haney almost a year later. An unbeaten former undisputed king, Haney was the fight favourite. While Devin might’ve thoroughly analysed Ryan’s physical capabilities, he could not legislate for his opponent’s emotional well-being. 

Shutting opponents down to win shutout decisions is Haney’s modus operandi. Shutting Garcia up was a new game entirely. In the build-up, Floyd Mayweather released sparring footage of Haney and Tank. Designed to cause mischief, the images stoked the fires a little more while keeping Mayweather’s name relevant in yet another contemporary spat.

On April 20, 2024, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney fought in Barclays Center, Brooklyn, on DAZN pay-per-view. In the build-up, there were several flashpoints online and in person as Ryan Garcia clashed with Devin and his father, Bill Haney. Garcia stunned Devin Haney, hurting him and dropping him in rounds seven, 10 and 11. Ryan Garcia was deducted a point in round seven for hitting on the break. 

Garcia won a majority decision, which was later overturned and changed to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for using Ostarine, a performance-enhancing drug. Haney would go on to file a lawsuit citing fraud, battery and breach of contract, seeking unspecified damages by claiming that Garcia had used methods outside of the agreed set of rules to win the contest.

Social Media Controversy

Once the darling of social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, it became increasingly apparent that Ryan Garcia was spending too much time online, living his life through a digital lens, resulting in erratic behaviour. In the lead-up to the Devin Haney contest, drug-fuelled confessions led to calls for cancellation and an in-depth assessment of the Californian’s psyche and fitness to practice in the most brutal of professions. Ryan appeared as a fragile pseudo-celebrity struggling with the pressures of fame and everyday reality.

Prior to the Devin Haney fight, Ryan Garcia covered a variety of topics, claiming he was kidnapped and spent time at Bohemian Grove. This San Francisco location supposedly houses secret groups. Garcia claimed nefarious acts were done to him at this time and even discussed alien abduction during the string of online posts.

Garcia would later descend into the realms of racist language and religiophobia, showing there is nothing off limits as his career and life crisis persisted. In June 2024, he was ejected from a hotel in Beverley Hills and charged with causing damage to the property. It later transpired that his mother, Lisa, had been diagnosed with breast cancer around this time.

Failed Drugs Test

Ryan Garcia weighed in three pounds over the contracted weight for his bout with Devin Haney on April 20, meaning he could not win the WBC title, although the bout went ahead and Garcia paid a fine. 

After defeating Haney, the banned substance Ostarine was discovered in Ryan Garcia’s system via two separate tests. The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) later imposed a one-year ban on Garcia for the infringement and the result of the content itself was annulled.

Ryan Garcia Expelled From WBC

On July 5, 2024, the World Boxing Council (WBC) announced that it had expelled Ryan Garcia from all activities within the organisation. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman made the decision following Garcia posting racial slurs and Islamophobic language on social media. Ryan Garcia later sent out a semi-retraction claiming he was trolling. The Garcia family also released a statement distancing themselves from the comments, saying they do not align with how he was raised.

Henry Garcia

Ryan’s father, Henry Garcia, trained him when he turned pro in 2016. Despite Ryan switching between trainers, Henry has been a constant figure by his side and working in corners.

Eddy Reynoso

Ryan Garcia began training with Canelo’s coach, Eddy Reynoso, in October 2018. During his time under Reynoso, the pair had five training camps together before Garcia left. He later said the reason for leaving was that Reynoso did not have the time to train him.  Both Reynoso and Canelo would go on to question Garcia’s dedication, focus and training ethic. 

In his final fight under Reynoso, Ryan Garcia defeated Luke Campbell in January 2021 to win the WBC Interim lightweight title. Between that fight and his April 9, 2022, return to the ring against Emmanuel Tagoe, Garcia had bouts against Javier Fortuna and Joseph Diaz fall through, with first mental health and then wrist surgery cited as the reasons. When he eventually returned to face Tagoe, he had split from Reynoso, announcing on February 11, 2022, that they would no longer be working together.

Joe Goossen

Ryan Garcia officially linked up with trainer Joe Goossen in early February 2022. This was a familiar move for both, as Goossen had sometimes been involved during Garcia’s amateur career. Garcia spoke of an ongoing relationship with Joe Goossen and praised his dedication. 

It was revealed that Ryan’s father, Henry Garcia, would remain in the corner assisting Goossen. Garcia and Goossen had three fights in total: a points win over Tagoe in April 2022, a knockout of Javier Fortuna in July 2022, and a KO loss to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in April 2023. Even though Garcia had dropped back down to lightweight to accommodate a Davis bout, he would campaign at 140 pounds moving forward.

Derrick James

On Thursday, May 18, 2023, Ryan Garcia announced on social media that he would train with Derrick James in Texas. Garcia employed a new “shoulder roll” move against Oscar Duarte as he got to grips with his new trainer. Fans recognised increased upper body movement and higher hands. James’ stable also consisted of Jermell Charlo and Frank Martin. He was the long-time trainer of Errol Spence Jr, but the pair had since become embroiled in a pay dispute.

While blasting away some lesser opponents in the early portion of his career, Garcia set about perfecting his key weapons: a sizzling left jab -identified by Timothy Bradley even at the early stages as a possible fight changer- his whipping left hook and size dimensions. 

Ryan Garcia claimed early that he liked to boil down, blow up in size, and dwarf his opponents. This strategy would later become a controversial feature of Ryan’s makeup. Ryan Garcia’s left hook and fast hands are identifiable weapons of his fighting style. 

Over the years, Garcia’s work ethic in training camp has been questioned, particularly when training alongside Canelo under Eddy Reynoso. Ryan later hooked up with Joe Goossen and then worked under Derrick James, seeking a fresh start in Texas. One of Derrick James’ key responsibilities was to keep Garcia focused and in the gym.

The Reynoso family had found him difficult to discipline at times and gym mate Canelo made some pointed comments about Ryan’s professionalism, which the young upstart did not take kindly to.

Golden Boy Promotions

Ryan Garcia turned professional with Golden Boy Promotions in 2016. In 2019, Garcia re-signed with Oscar De La Hoya on a five-year deal. However, in June 2023, Garcia attempted to terminate his contract early, citing moves by Golden Boy that rendered the contract invalid. In return, he received a lawsuit letter that one of Garcia’s lawyers described as “baseless”.

Ryan Garcia has greatly impacted boxing around certain demographics and groups. He has crossed over into mainstream consciousness, and while his overall boxing legacy is still being built, he is extremely popular for a variety of reasons. 

In late June 2024, Safety Shot, a dietary and wellness company, announced a partnership with Ryan Garcia, where he would act as a brand ambassador. Just weeks later, they had severed ties with Garcia due to increasingly disputable content, citing a “zero tolerance for any kind of hate speech”.