What a year it has been for Ryan Garcia; calling it a rollercoaster of emotions would be an understatement. Starting the year with high hopes and a mega fight against Devin Haney lined up, Garcia then terrified all of his fans with disturbing posts on social media in the lead-up to the fight. That was all forgotten after he dominated Haney, but his epic victory was stripped away after he failed a drug test.
Then came a one-year suspension handed down by the boxing powers that be, putting his future in murky waters. Seven months into his suspension, Garcia found a way to get around it and keep up his boxing form with an exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo at the end of December. But even that fight has come under controversy, as Garcia’s promotion company, Golden Boy, needs to give the green light for it to actually happen.
Ryan Garcia vs. Rukiya Anpo still planned but without Golden Boy’s green light
While Garcia waits for Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions’ decision, he’s hard at work training. But even his training videos are under scrutiny, as some fans believe he’s not in great shape.
Garcia’s hand speed certainly looked up to par and vintage, but some fans were caught off guard by his physique. He looks to be in better shape than most human beings, but we’ve grown accustomed to seeing the 26-year-old in elite shape.
- “He looks like he hasn’t been working out”
- “He’s built like a sour patch kid”
- “Is it just me or did Ryan get a little chunky?”
Garcia might actually have put on a bit of weight due to his opponent. Anpo stands at six feet tall and fights at 154 pounds, while Garcia has never fought at anything more than 143 pounds – when he came in overweight against Haney in his last bout.
Garcia-Anpo is still slated to happen on December 30 in Tokyo, Japan. Golden Boy is yet to sign off on the fight, so there’s no guarantee that it will go ahead. Garcia is training like it will, though.
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