RYAN Garcia has opened up once again on X, revealing the personal struggles he has gone through over the past year. ‘King Ry’ mentions a mental health disorder and an ongoing battle with alcoholism, but has vowed to come back even stronger.
Garcia returned to the ring on May 2 to box Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in what was supposed to set up a lucrative rematch with Devin Haney. The pair fought in April 2024. Garcia won that bout before later testing positive for PED usage. The Romero loss, combined with Haney’s lacklustre showing against Jose Ramirez on the same night, have killed off any immediate interest in that contest.
While Garcia’s tweet (above) has garnered plenty of support, most of which he has been busily retweeting, there has also been some pushback from the boxing community. “no one cares, that’s not an excuse to lose to rolly..” grilled one user.
Now campaigning at 147 pounds, it would appear that sky-high paydays and a lack of activity is harming boxing’s new breed. Garcia looks like he is ready to re-enter the gym and try to reach some kind of in-ring consistency.
That is much needed if the one-time golden boy of boxing is to fulfil his potential. Or at least do battle with some of his contemporaries.
After firing himself into the limelight under the watchful eye of Oscar De La Hoya (a man who has suffered plenty of his own trials and tribulations over time), Garcia has suffered with mental and physical injuries, leading to extended breaks away.
A KO loss to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis was the first defeat of his career. Beating Haney offered a sliver of redemption, although the build-up was so bizarre and wild that Garcia was close to being pulled out of the fight altogether. The rebuilding process from this latest setback will likely be painful and lengthy.
