It wasn’t very long ago when Ryan Garcia was viewed as one of boxing’s rising stars. But now, the charismatic fighter is circling the MAGA drain.
It was revealed this week that Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance ostarine the day before and the day of his recent upset win over junior welterweight champion Devin Haney. While urine samples were collected before the match, results weren’t known until later.
Garcia, like most pro athletes who test positive for steroids, denies taking any illegal substance. But his defense stands out for its utter absurdity.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The 25-year-old influencer claims he’s being framed because… he endorsed Trump for president.
Yep! We had to read his explanation twice, too.
“Hmm I’m seen with trump And now I’m positive for steroids,” Garcia posted on social media. “This is a straight attack. Crazy.”
Crazy, indeed!
A few years ago, Garcia profiled as a marketable and appealing boxer who could cross over into the mainstream. As CBS Sports writes, he was every promoter’s dream:
Were a promoter to build a fighter in a lab, that fighter would likely come out looking a lot like Garcia. He’s young, charismatic, handsome and blessed with speed and power. Combine that with an accomplished amateur background and a savvy approach to social media, which has led to 10.5 million followers on Instagram, and you have the recipe for a major box office attraction.
One of Garcia’s first big breaks in the ring came when he took on Luke Campbell for the WBC interim lightweight title in 2021. But for the first time in his young career, he was knocked down.
The California native got back up, however, and soon faced another young star, Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Davis knocked down Garcia in the seventh round, giving him his first career loss.
Shortly thereafter, Garcia withdrew from the ring, citing his mental health. He was open about his struggles, becoming a much-needed mental health advocate in the world of combat sports.
“When I was deep in it, I didn’t think I was gonna live, I was so depressive and I went to bad habits,” he said in a 2022 interview. “I started drinking, and I never drink, ever. But I was getting drunk all the time. I wanted to kill myself at one point … It was so bad, so intense, that I thought maybe I just rather not be here. I didn’t understand what was going on. I needed professional help.”
With a career 25-1 record, Garcia continued to rise up the ranks heading into his match against Haney. But his behavior became increasingly erratic. Garcia began to post about far-right conspiracies and attack LGBTQ+ people.
Last spring, he joined the chorus of right-wing trolls lambasting Target for its inclusive Pride collection. “Shame on target,” he posted. “They pulled that artwork in the kids section bc they seen nobody is falling for the demonic attack on the kids!!!”
That troubling backstory leads us to Mar-a-Lago. Last week, Garcia shared a video of himself shadow boxing at the tacky resort, with Trump watching on.
“TRUMP IS MY FRIEND,” he wrote on Instagram.
Three days ago, Garcia posted photos of himself grinning with the quadruple-indicted, twice-impeached, one-term ex-president.
Garcia is far from the only pro boxer to align himself with Trump. Don King, the legendary promoter, was one of Trump’s first high-profile backers during his 2016 run, and Mike Tyson is a longtime supporter as well.
Trump is becoming especially synonymous with UFC, appearing at some of the promotion’s biggest events in recent years. He’s very close with UFC CEO Dana White, ushering in a new era of “cage-match politics,” as described by the New York Times.
That’s all to say: Garcia is one of many pro fighters who doubles as a MAGA sycophant… making his defense of being punished for his Trump support all the more ridiculous.
On Wednesday, Garcia posted an expletive-laden video, in which he says he’s being unfairly persecuted (sound familiar)?
He also says the only substance he’s guilty of ingesting is tequila. “I don’t even know what ostarine is. I was on tequila,” he said. “If tequila got steroids, that’s crazy bro. I’m guilty.”
Sounds like a logical explanation, and not the rantings of somebody who’s losing it!
Haney, for his part, told ESPN “it’s unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and breaking positive not once, but twice.”
We’ll see where Garcia takes his grievance tour next. We’re guessing another trip to Mar-a-Lago may be in his future.
The status of his boxing career, however, is less certain.
Don't forget to share:
