Who is Ryan García? From his Mexican roots to his social media controversies

The buzz around Ryan “King Ry” García not making weight by just over three pounds sent shockwaves through the boxing community. Unfortunately for García, the WBC title was no longer on the line in the fight, but the bout still went ahead this Saturday.

García clinched a majority decision victory over Haney with the judges scoring it 112-112, 114-110, and 115-109 in his favor.

The American fighter of Mexican descent rapidly climbed the ranks with the promoter ‘Golden Boy Promotions’ and has gradually become one of the most promising young faces of boxing, securing interim titles like the WBC Silver and an interim belt.

This was set to be his first fight for an absolute title, but he missed the opportunity; previously, he had faced a tough challenge against Gervonta Davis (29-0-0, 27 KOs), who took his undefeated record a year ago by knocking him out in the sixth round with a shot to his right abdomen. Later, García returned to winning ways by knocking out Óscar Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) in the eighth round.

Ryan García vital details

Name: Ryan García.

Nickname: King Ry.

Birthplace: Alamitos, California (USA).

Age: 25.

Record: 25-1-0.

Height: 5 feet 8.5 inches.

KOs: 20.

Ryan García’s Social Media Controversies

Outside the ring García has been embroiled in numerous controversies. In 2021, he admitted to having suffered from depression that led to alcohol abuse, and an injury kept him out of the ring for over a year as he underwent surgery for a fracture in his right wrist.

One of his more recent controversies that caused a stir on social media was when he allegedly “predicted” the tragedy on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which saw nearly a dozen fatalities.

X, formerly Twitter, later clarified that the video contained fake images that were never published, in reference to what Ryan García had supposedly posted: “Something bad is going to happen in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. Here, the Dalí crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, destroying it.”

In the wake of this, his followers expressed concern for his mental health, some denying that he had predicted the events in Baltimore; others showed their support, labeling him as a sort of “messenger of God.”

For the fight against Devin Haney, it was revealed that García would forfeit more than $600,000 from his purse, in addition to the $1.5 million both fighters wagered as a side bet. On his social media, he posted statements about how little he cared for failing to make weight and sparked controversy among fans.

Despite his victory by majority decision, his failure to make weight meant García was out of the race for Devin Haney’s WBC super lightweight title.