Ryan Garcia has been eager to set the record straight as he prepares for his return to the boxing ring.
Dubbed ‘KingRy’, Garcia recently inked a deal to square off against WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney on April 20th in New York. This marks Garcia’s first fight since his knockout victory over Oscar Duarte in December and represents a significant challenge following his defeat to Gervonta Davis last April.
After the loss to ‘Tank’, Garcia encountered well-publicized difficulties with his promotional team. Despite attempts to part ways with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, a reconciliation was reached recently, primarily to facilitate the matchup with Haney.
Since finalizing the deal for the April showdown, Garcia has been a prominent presence, drawing attention from fans on social media who question his focus on the upcoming bout due to his sporadic behavior. Just the day before his latest press conference, Garcia was engaging on X Spaces, openly discussing being under the influence.
In response to these concerns, Garcia addressed the issue head-on during the second press conference for his clash with Devin Haney. He candidly discussed his mental state, asserting that while he indulges in drinking and smoking weed, he adamantly denies any involvement with cocaine.
“I’ve been shouting for these promos, but I’m not going to pretend,” Garcia emphasized at the press conference. “I want to clarify a few things: I don’t do cocaine. I’d take a live drug test. I drink and smoke weed. So have the majority of people in this room. Weed is legal, bro. Weed is fire.”
He continued, “Thank you. Finally, someone is being real, admitting, ‘This is who I am, I drink, I smoke, so what’? We all evolve and we all have flaws. I’m 25 years old, don’t forget. Sometimes it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. How many 25-year-olds have made a hundred million dollars and can do whatever they want?”
“I’d like to see what you’d do in my shoes,” Garcia concluded. “Probably much more than just weed!”
