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.
