It’s been a bumpy ride the last couple years for Ryan Garcia, as the telegenic and heavy-handed pugilist dealt with promotional dramas, a bout with anxiety and depression, and now a hand injury will put off a ring return.
Here is the release sent out by Golden Boy, his promoter.
LOS ANGELES, CA (October 15, 2021) – Lightweight, undefeated sensation Ryan “King Ry” Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) sustained an injury to his right hand during a training session. The 23-year old Southern California native will undergo surgery on Monday, October 18, to repair his right wrist by the renowned orthopedic hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center.
“I want to thank my fans for all the continued support,” said Ryan Garcia. “We are postponing my next fight for a couple of months as a result of a significant hand injury that requires immediate surgery. I will undergo surgery at Cedars-Sinai on Monday. I promise early 22 I will return better, faster, and stronger than ever. I love you guys!”
“Ryan Garcia is a very resilient young man,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “We hope he takes the necessary time to heal and recover. As a fighter, I understand the importance of taking hand injuries seriously, and I am glad Ryan is doing the right thing and addressing the injury quickly. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
One of the most popular lightweights of his generation, Ryan Garcia, is a skilled, lightning-fast puncher who has steadily climbed the division’s ranks. Defeating the likes of “Ruthless” Romero Duno, Francisco Fonseca, Carlos “The Solution” Morales, Jason “La Maravilla” Velez; he was last seen in the ring on January 1, 2021, with a spectacular seventh-round stoppage of Luke Campbell.
Ryan Garcia was to take part in a step up collision with titlist Jo Jo Diaz, date and site to be officially announced. Check out the response to the injury news from Jo Jo, below:
Founder/editor Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the then-impregnable Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-based journalist has covered the sport since for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bad Left Hook and RING. His journalism career started with NY Newsday in 1999.
Michael Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live, since 2017.