The Babying of Ryan Garcia

By Steven X | May 8, 2025

Ryan Garcia finds himself in a position largely of his own making--enabled by a fanbase, family circle, and broader boxing public that have coddled him to the point of absolving him of accountability. Following his recent loss to Rolando "Rolly" Romero at Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves in New York, Garcia has offered a cascade of excuses rather than taking ownership of the defeat.

A glance at social media shows a number of prominent boxing journalists coming to his defense, particularly regarding his emotional reaction after the bout. Marcos Villegas, founder of Fight Hub TV, tweeted:

"I see a lot of people criticizing Ryan for crying after his loss. You guys are assholes. Boxers are passionate people; they put LITERALLY EVERYTHING into camps and performances. Anyone is going to get emotional--win or lose. Other athletes in other sports get emotional too."

In a follow-up tweet, Villegas added:

"Shit. Look at the last year he's had. Compound everything he went through and then things don't work out after you put in so much hard work in camp. For people to expect athletes not to get emotional like that is stupid. These guys aren't robots--they are people too."

This narrative--that Garcia is weathering a rough personal year--emerged during the initial press conference for Fatal Fury and remained a central theme throughout the promotion. However, what went largely unspoken by DAZN and the mainstream press is that Garcia was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) for failing drug tests for Ostarine, a banned performance-enhancing substance. His $1.1 million purse was confiscated and returned to Golden Boy Promotions. The suspension, which was effective nationwide, required Garcia to pass drug tests in order to be reinstated.

Further complicating his image, WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán expelled Garcia from the organization after he made a series of racist remarks during a Twitter (X) Spaces session. "We reject any form of discrimination," Sulaimán stated. "I fear for Ryan's well-being, as he has declined multiple offers of help with mental health and substance abuse."

During that tirade, Garcia reportedly made offensive remarks about Black and Muslim communities, repeatedly using racial slurs, including saying, "I hate n******," and disturbingly commenting that he wanted to resurrect George Floyd just to kill and bury him again. He has yet to issue a public apology.

Despite these controversies, a significant portion of the boxing community continues to sympathize with Garcia, seemingly overlooking both his PED use and inflammatory statements. His performance against Devin Haney last year raised eyebrows after he tested positive for both Ostarine and Nandrolone. Against Haney, Garcia absorbed punches with unusual resilience and delivered heavy shots that suggested enhanced strength and durability.

In stark contrast, Garcia appeared diminished in the ring against Rolly Romero. Despite weighing in at 147 pounds--more than his 143.2 weight in the Haney fight--he looked physically smaller. Observers have attributed the change in physique to the absence of performance-enhancing substances this time around, given the stricter drug testing protocols enforced by the NYSAC.

Notably, Romero's double left hook--which didn't even land clean--was enough to knock Garcia down, raising further questions about his previous performance enhancements. By comparison, Haney had landed a flush left hook that Garcia shrugged off in dramatic fashion.

According to NYSAC transcripts, Garcia admitted to using banned substances ahead of his fight with Haney. Nevertheless, a rematch between the two remains a real possibility, as a contract has already been signed. Should it proceed, the bout is expected to take place in October.