Just twelve months ago Ryan Garcia appeared to have the world firmly at his feet.
Aged 24 he had amassed an undefeated professional career across 23 fights, wowing fans with his exceptional hand speed and KO power and becoming one of sport’s most recognisable talents.
Better yet, Garcia had bucked the trend so maligned in modern prizefighting where the very best often don’t seem to fight the very best by agreeing to take on pound-for-pound great Gervonta Davis.
The clash between the two undefeated stars was an instant hit at the box office and reportedly sold more than one million pay-per-view buys while generating $22.8million at the gate.
Ultimately though Garcia would come out second best in the battle of the lightweight superstars.
Ryan Garcia surrendered his undefeated record in a blockbuster clash with Gervonta Davis
The 25-year-old was dropped with a left hook to the body in the seventh and failed to beat the referee’s count
But Garcia returned to the win column in December to re-establish himself as a contender
Davis landed a huge left hand to the ribs in the seventh round that forced Garcia to the canvas and he was unable to beat the referee’s ten count.
Despite surrendering his undefeated record on that night in Nevada, Garcia reaffirmed his ambition to eventually hold world title gold when he returned to the ring in December with an eighth-round KO of Oscar Duarte.
Then in January Garcia stunned fans with a double revelation on social media. Firstly, he revealed that his wife Andrea Celina had given birth to his son, with both mother and child healthy.
Just one hour later he shared a now-deleted post announcing that he and Celina would be divorcing, though he insisted the separation was amicable.
‘While this decision marks the end of our marriage, it’s important to emphasize that our relationship as co-parents remains our top priority.’ He wrote on Instagram.
‘Throughout our years together, Dea has been an incredible partner and an even more extraordinary mother to our two children. I’m deeply grateful for the years we shared and for her unwavering commitment to our family.’
In January he announced his wife Andrea Celina gave birth to his son in a post on social media
Then just an hour later Garcia announced that he and Celina would be divorcing
Since then he has announced he has a new girlfriend in Australian influencer and model Mikaela Testa
Amid such turmoil in his personal life Garcia appeared to put his focus into his craft and the following month a blockbuster clash with Devin Haney was announced for April 20.
The pair had long been rumoured to face off in the professional ranks after having split six amateur bouts between them with both fighters emerging victorious three times.
Once again Garcia would test his skills in against of the sport’s premier talents but this time with the added incentive of the WBC super lightweight title being on the line.
However, since the announcement fans have grown concerned regarding the 25-year-old’s wellbeing.
Allegations of drug use began sprouting up emanating from Garcia’s sometimes erratic behaviour online.
At a press conference for his clash with Haney, Garcia responded directly to the accusations by insisting that his indulgences are no more severe than those of his contemporaries.
‘I wanna clarify some things,’ Garcia said on Thursday. ‘I don’t do cocaine. I drink and I smoke weed, and so does the majority in this room.’
Garcia also announced his new girlfriend Mikaela Testa – an Australian influencer and model with over 400,000 followers on Instagram.
Garcia is currently scheduled to return to the ring next month to take on Devin Haney
The pair fought six times in the amateur ranks, with both men claiming three victories
He also claimed to be training Mikaela in the boxing ring, calling on crossover promotion ‘Misfits’ to sign her up for a fight in a post on his social media.
Garcia then sparked major concern with a post on both his X and Instagram accounts that showed a shaky clip of an unidentifiable individual inside a house which appears to be his.
”We got him boys. RYAN GARCIA RIP B****. 666,’ is written over the clip, ‘Video is exactly 666 in time. WE TOLD YOU WE WERE COMING.’ A stream of random letters then follow.
The Instagram caption only further raised alarm as it referenced ‘the death of Ryan Garcia’.
The comment section was flooded with messages from concerned fans, but Ryan’s father Henry Garcia insisted that the post was simply ‘trolling’.
‘Yes Ryan is ok , he’s just trolling the wrong way,’ he wrote in response to the fan asking if Garcia Jr. was okay. ‘No there’s more to it . Trust,’ Henry later added.
His reassurances did little to quell anguish among supporters, however.
The star’s ex-wife Celina took to social media to reveal that while she had been able to contact Garcia following the concerning post that he is not well.
‘If all my followers who are believers can you please pray for Ryan,’ she wrote on her Instagram story.
However, fans are worried about Garcia’s mental wellbeing following concerning social media posts
His dad, Henry Garcia, also provided a small update to reassure fans that the boxer was okay
However his ex-wife insisted that he is not ok and implored fans to pray for him
‘We are not together and i’ve been in contact with him and he may seem fine but he is not. I know in my heart he is being heavily oppressed.
‘This is not a troll, I’m genuinely concerned and so is all his family members. We are not part of any of this and want him to get better but this IS REAL. Pray for him.’
Garcia has previously detailed his struggles with mental health, having battled intrusive thoughts during a particularly difficult episode that led his to take a hiatus from competition in 2021.
‘When that was happening to me and I couldn’t find a way out of my mind, it frustrated me,’ he told DAZN.
‘I just had a lot of different thoughts, suicidal thoughts, I went through a tough time but I battled through it.’
Garcia has also endured a strained relationship with his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions.
In many ways in his ascendancy Garcia had been seen as a spiritual successor to Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya.
An exciting and highly-marketable fighter with the support of both American and Mexican audiences behind him, Garcia appeared to fit the mold that had made De La Hoya such a pay-per-view superstar during the 2000s.
Garcia has also had a long-strained relationship with his promoter Oscar De La Hoya
The Golden Boy chief invoked Garcia’s struggles with mental health in a tweet late last year
Though he appeared to take Garcia under his wing at Golden Boy, De La Hoya has frequently clashed with the 25-year-old in the media, and even took aim at his ‘state of mind’ in a now-deleted social media post from November.
‘I have to say that I’m really concerned about Ryan Garcia’s state of mind,’ De La Hoya wrote on X.
‘Considering his history of mental instability (which he’s documented himself) his current erratic behavior shows he’s clearly not focused on Saturdays fight. You won’t take my calls, Ryan I hope you’re OK.’
Contacted by Mail Sport for comment on Garcia’s recent behaviour Golden Boy Promotions have yet to respond.
History is littered with examples of fighters finding the highest-levels of combat sports to be equal parts lonely and overcrowded, potentially lucrative and destitute and inspiring and harrowing.
One can only hope that Garcia receives the support that he needs to be able to fulfil his potential and continue his career whilst finding peace outside of the ring.
For support call Samaritans on 116123 in the UK or visit www.samaritans.org, or the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US.
