SEATTLE - After being suspended for one year by the New York Athletic Commission after a positive test on performance-enhancing drugs, Ryan Garcia is now involved in another troubling issue after recent comments on social media of his went viral.
The famous boxer has now been expelled from the World Boxing Council after repeatedly using racial slurs against Black people and disparaging Muslims in comments livestreamed on social media.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced Garcia's penalty on July 4 on social media platform X. "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."
Sulaiman's publication added: "exercising my authority as president of the WBC, I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization."
Garcia took to his X account to apologize, but the post has now been deleted. On July 5, Garcia made another publication taking responsibility for his words, arguing that his trauma and his substance abuse are some of the reasons for his recent behavior.
When contacted by The Associated Press for comment, an attorney representing Garcia did not immediately respond. Garcia's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, also denounced the boxer's comments in a social media post on July 5 that read "there is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period. I condemn Ryan's words in the strongest terms possible."
It has been a troubling year for Garcia. In addition to his suspension, he was arrested last month for felony vandalism at a Beverly Hills hotel, with the establishment accusing him of causing an estimated $15,000 in damage according to the Beverly Hills Police Department.
He is also serving a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission after testing for positive for a banned substance prior to fighting Devin Haney back in April. After the substance was found, Garcia's victory was changed to a "no contest." A day before the commission announced the suspension, Garcia used his X account to announce that he was retiring from boxing.
On top of that, the 25-year-old is also facing some personal issues. Garcia has not been shy about his problems with substance abuse and just a few weeks ago, he announced on social media that his mother was fighting breast cancer. He also used his social media platforms to inform that he was seeking some help and entering rehab to fight his substance abuse problem.
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