Boxing star Ryan Garcia apologized Friday for his use of racial slurs against Black people and disparaging comments he made about Muslims during a recent livestream on social media.
“I take all responsibility for my words,” Garcia wrote in a post on X. “Sorry everyone that I offended.”
Garcia went on to say that he is “misunderstood,” is struggling with substance abuse and is “going to rehab.”
His apology came one day after World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman announced his sanctioning body was expelling Garcia for his controversial actions during the livestream.
“We reject any form of discrimination,” Sulaiman wrote. “I fear for Ryan’s well-being as he has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse.”
Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, denounced his fighter’s behavior in a strongly worded statement issued Friday on X.
“There is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period. I condemn Ryan’s words in the strongest terms possible,” De La Hoya wrote. “I see that he has apologized, and that is a start – but it is only a start to earn back the trust and respect of those of us who have and continue to support him. We hope Ryan will use the time he has away from the sport to work through the issues he has publicly discussed. We stand ready to help in whatever we can.”
“There is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period. I condemn Ryan’s words in the strongest terms possible. I see that he has apologized, and that is a start – but it is only a start to earn back the trust and respect of those of us who have and continue to support…
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) July 5, 2024
Garcia is currently serving a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine. That suspension is retroactive to Garcia’s April 20 decision victory over Devin Haney, which has since been overturned to a no-contest.
Garcia vehemently denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. Two supplements listed on doping control forms, which were submitted alongside Garcia’s urine sample collections on April 19 and 20, showed the presence of the banned substance.
The 25-year old Garcia also was arrested in June on felony vandalism charges stemming from an incident at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, that accused him of causing an estimated $15,000 in damage.
Garcia’s family addressed his recent troubling behavior as well as his social media remarks, stating that these “do not align with his, or our family’s, true character or beliefs.”
“Our family unequivocally does not support any statements [Garcia] has made regarding race or religion — these do not reflect who Ryan truly is and how he was raised,” the family’s statement read. “Those who know Ryan can attest to this fact. Ryan has been open about his ongoing struggle with mental health over the years and as a family we are committed to ensuring and encouraging that he receives the necessary help to navigate this very challenging time and address both his immediate and long-term well-being.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.