Professional Boxer to Poker Pro: Ryan Garcia is Back

At 26 years old, Ryan Garcia has become a force to be reckoned with in boxing. This year, Garcia will be back in the ring as he returns from a year-long suspension to face Rolly Romero in May. 

The bout will be held at Times Square, and Garcia will look to use the fight to re-establish his presence as one of the best boxers and set up a potential rematch with Devin Haney later this year. While Garcia has achieved much success in the ring, he is also becoming noted for his pursuits outside of boxing, specifically in poker. Garcia is quickly building a reputation as a top poker player, and many are wondering if he could also be as successful at the felt as he has been in the ring. In this post, we will examine how Ryan Garcia has exceeded in both disciplines. 

Olympic Aspirations 

Garcia’s desire to be one of the best boxers in the world is well-documented. His dream was to represent the USA in the 2016 Olympics, and he had a strong amateur record, winning 15 national championships and amassing 215 wins and 15 losses, which would have made him a favorite for the summer games. However, instead of heading to Rio, Garcia turned pro, citing the fact that he wanted to get paid for getting hit in the head.   

Strong Start to His Professional Career

Garcia made his professional debut in March 2016 against Edgar Meza in Tijuana. He won the match with a TKO and was signed by Golden Boy Promotions. In 2019, Garcia faced Romero Duno for the WBC Silver lightweight title. Garcia knocked him out in the 1st round. He performed the same feat the following year against Francisco Fonseca, knocking out the Nicaraguan boxer with a left hook in the 1st round. 

In 2021, Garcia demonstrated why he had the grit and mindset to become a boxing great. Facing Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Garcia was knocked down in the 2nd round, the first time in his professional career. The fight went 7-rounds before Garcia emerged victorious, completely outhitting his opponent. It was Campbell’s last fight before his retirement. Unfortunately, Garcia couldn’t build on this victory and would be stripped of the WBC Silver lightweight title after withdrawing from a fight against Devin Haney.

Comeback King and First Loss

Known as King Ryan to many boxing fans, Garcia proved he was the comeback king, beating Emmanuel Tagoe in February 2022 and Javier Fortuna in July 2022. Despite his successful comeback, Garcia experienced his first loss the next year against Gervonta Davis. He was knocked down in the 2nd round and the 7th. In the 7th round, he was unable to rise on the referee’s ten count. Switching his trainer to Derrick James, Garcia came back for the second time, knocking out Oscar Duarte in December 2023. 

Back to the Ring

After being suspended for a year as a result of the Devin Haney fight in February 2024, Garcia has made it his mission to once again become one of the top boxers in his weight class. Garcia is reuniting with Eddy Reynoso and is looking to restart his boxing career against Rolando “Rolly” Romero for the WBA welterweight world title. If he succeeds, he will confirm his position as one of the best in his sport. If he fails, he may well have another discipline to fall back on. 

Can Garcia Become a Poker Pro?

Many athletes have turned to the poker table in order to test their competitive skills in a different sport, but few can claim to be successful. Garcia’s poker career, however, is showing signs that he may have what it takes to be a poker pro. As we reported in 2023, Garcia competed in the World Series of Poker $ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event in Las Vegas and made it to 566th place out of 10,000 entrants, walking away with $32,000. 

To put into perspective how good a player Garcia is, he was ranked 32nd in the 2023 Celebrities and Sports Stars Top 93. In 23rd place was Jon Pardy, who is a legitimate top poker player. A poker pro for Americas Cardroom, Pardy is famous for being an athlete who made it at the card table. He has proven very successful at the poker table, and from 2020 to 2022, he cashed in at 12 WSOP events, both online and in Las Vegas. If Garcia wants to become a professional poker player, then Pardy’s journey is one he will want to emulate.

The good news is that Garcia has been putting in a lot of practice, and last year, he sat down with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. for a game of poker table at the HUSTLER Casino in Los Angeles. In a tweet from the event, Garcia said, “Neymar is the best.” However, Garcia also showed why he is a top player, winning a four-way all-in. 

For boxing and MMA news, do read the rest of our articles on NYFights.