Ryan Garcia has been banned by the WBC after making racist comments on social media, the latest in a series of out-of-ring issues for the former lightweight titleholder.
Garcia's suspension from the WBC was announced on the Xth by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman due to his repeated insulting remarks against blacks and Muslims.
“We reject any discrimination,” Sulaiman wrote. “Ryan has repeatedly refused our help with his mental health and substance abuse issues and we are concerned about his well-being.”
Garcia, who is serving a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine, was arrested last month on a felony criminal damage charge after he was accused of causing an estimated $15,000 in damages from a Beverly Hills hotel.
Ryan Garcia's “apology”
Garcia responded to X by posting, “I was trolling. Stop the murder. I love you all. I'm sorry if I caused any offense.”
Ryan Garcia's record
His professional record is 24 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, with 20 of those wins coming by knockout.
Ryan Garcia George Floyd's comments
Garcia commented: He repeatedly made racist remarks against black people, such as “I hate black people, I'm a KKK member,” and also expressed a desire to kill George Floyd again.
Ryan Garcia Age
Garcia is 25 years old and was born on August 8, 1998.
Family reaction
His family released the following statement:
“Our family categorically does not support any of the comments made by Garcia regarding race or religion, and they do not reflect who Ryan is or how he was raised,” the family statement read. “Those who know Ryan can attest to this fact. Ryan has been open about his struggles with mental health issues for many years, and our family is committed to ensuring and encouraging him to receive the help he needs to get through this extremely difficult time and address his short-term and long-term health conditions.”
Ryan Garcia WBC
On January 2, 2001, Garcia defeated Luke Campbell to win the interim WBC lightweight title, then canceled a bout to defend the title against Javier Fortuna, and then canceled a bout against Joseph Diaz due to a head injury.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com and on Twitter: @Bretbloomquist.
