Ryan Garcia wants to turn the page.
The 26-year-old American returns to the ring in May where he will take on the 16-2 Rolly Romero in New York City for the first time since a contentious bout last year with Devin Haney, in which Garcia scored a sensational upset victory only to have the bout changed to a no-contest after he failed a test for banned substance.
The incident compounded a controversial 2024 for Garcia, who had missed weight for the bout by a significant margin and who had been the subject of speculation as to his mental health amid a range of unusual incidents and comments. He was subsequently issued with a one-year suspension following the drug test failure.
And on Tuesday at a press event to promote the May 2 contest with Romero, Garcia said that he was eager to move on from last year.
“I want to be great,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to fight the best fighters in the sport. As far as my problems outside the ring, I’ve always had those problems. I don’t know who else struggles with stuff like that, but that’s just something I was struggling with.
“I want to just show everybody that you can come back from anything. I want to show my dedication to the sport and be a true professional. I admit my wrongs and I don’t want anybody to take my actions of drinking and smoking before the fight and try to think that’s a way to handle yourself as a professional. So I came here to change that. This is my first fight to get respect back and to prove to everybody that it wasn’t a fluke, and I’m ready to do it.”
A rematch with Haney is expected to take place later this year, provided that Garcia is successful in his return. Haney, meanwhile, fights the 29-2 Jose Ramirez on the same card.
