Ryan Garcia made vile racist and Islamophobic remarks this week on social media, prompting backlash from the boxing community and beyond.
The 25-year-old fighter has been concerning fans this year with his erratic behaviour, beginning with social media antics in the run-up to his fight with Devin Haney. He then missed weight but won the fight via majority decision, scoring three knockdowns. It was later revealed Garcia has tested positive for a banned substance on the day before and day of the fight.
Now banned for one year by the New York State Athletic Commission, Garcia’s social media has been increasingly volatile and strange, culminating in the wildly offensive comments.
Oscar De La Hoya, head of Golden Boy and Garcia’s promoter, has now released the following statement:
”There is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period. I condemn Ryan’s words in the strongest terms possible. I see that he has apologised, and that is a start — but it is only a start to earn back the trust and respect of those of us who have and continue to support him.
We hope Ryan will use the the time he has away from the sport to work through the issues he has publicly discussed. We stand ready to help in whatever we can.”
The WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has ‘expelled’ Garcia from any contest within his sanctioning body, and Garcia’s family has also condemned the words and urged Ryan to seek help.
In his own statement, the fighter said his words were taken out of context.
