Ryan Garcia's Growing List of Excuses is Wearing Thin

Ryan Garcia will undergo hand surgery and is expected to be out of training for at least six weeks following the procedure, according to a report by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The injury occurred during Garcia’s training camp for his May 2 fight against Rolando “Rolly” Romero in New York City’s Times Square.

The surgery will be performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steven Shin. According to reports, Garcia received multiple cortisone injections throughout camp and wanted to proceed with the fight despite the injury.

Garcia’s performance was widely criticized. He was dropped in the second round by Romero’s double left hook while standing straight up—a longstanding flaw in Garcia’s defense. It’s the same mistake that led to knockdowns against Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Luke Campbell. He recovered to stop Campbell in the seventh round, but against Romero, he looked flat from the opening bell.

Some critics believe the underwhelming performance wasn’t just due to injury, but that Garcia was fighting clean—without the banned substances that tainted his controversial victory over Devin Haney in April 2024. That fight was officially ruled a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for Ostarine and Nandrolone.

One day after the Times Square card, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) tweeted:

“Team VADA also tested all pro fighters at NY Times Square last night. Thank you @RiyadhSeason #cleansport @Turki_alalshikh.”

The post was seen as a subtle but clear message: all fighters were tested, including Garcia. After the Haney debacle, Garcia deflected blame for the failed tests, suggesting VADA and even Victor Conte may have played a role—accusations that have never been proven. Conte, who served time in 2005 after pleading guilty to distributing steroids and money laundering, has since re-emerged as an advocate for clean sport, working with boxers through his SNAC program.

Following the Romero fight, Garcia pointed to a variety of issues at the post-fight press conference, calling it “a pretty, pretty off night.” He said his feet weren’t there and blamed a year-long layoff for the sluggish performance.

The public isn't buying it.

One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, “Bruh, every time he lose! He has an excuse.” Another added, “EXCUSES. Give that kid a new steroid.” A third summed up the fan sentiment bluntly: “I don’t wanna hear no injury talk now.”

The timing of the surgery announcement has fueled speculation. It came weeks after the loss to Romero—and just days after Garcia pulled out of a planned fall rematch with Haney. The rematch was expected to take place this October in Riyadh under the direction of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia.

Oscar De La Hoya, representing Golden Boy Promotions, stated publicly that Garcia’s team wasn’t interested in that direction, calling Haney a “runner.” But sources close to Team Haney say Devin already has another opponent signed for later this year—one that isn’t Ryan Garcia.

Whether Garcia’s hand injury is genuine or just another chapter in a long book of post-fight rationalizations, many fans and observers are asking the same question: Can Ryan Garcia truly compete at 147 pounds—clean, focused, and without excuses?