Henry Garcia has reassured supporters of his son, Ryan Garcia, that the fighter is “OK” despite concerns for his welfare due to his erratic behavior during last week’s press tour for his upcoming fight with super lightweight titleholder Devin Haney.
Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs), following his initial press conference with Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) in New York last week, began posting questionable content on his Instagram account. Garcia posted a video of the fighter smoking marijuana last Thursday, shortly after the presser.
The fighters’ second press conference was held at the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood, California, for which Garcia arrived on horseback and was then carried into the venue on the shoulders of his security team.
Once seated, Garcia made more odd choices. After Haney criticized Garcia’s conduct and accused him of setting a bad example for younger people, Garcia freely admitted to drinking and smoking pot.
Following the conclusion of the second press conference, Garcia failed to oblige his mandatory media duties for primary broadcaster DAZN, leaving a cloud of uncertainty about his well-being.
A post that appeared on Garcia’s Instagram account claimed that the former world title challenger was dead, which caused alarm among his social media followers.
Henry Garcia responded to questions posed by his son’s followers on his social media accounts, dismissing any concerns about his son’s mental health and claiming that he is merely “trolling” his followers.
“Yes, Ryan is OK,” Henry said. “He’s [Ryan], just trolling the wrong way.”
Garcia’s father’s comments stand in stark contrast to the comments of the fighter’s wife, who, despite their recent separation, expressed concerns about her husband’s well-being. She said Garcia is currently “oppressed,” and admitted that his family is concerned for him.
“If all my followers who are believers, can you please pray for Ryan,” Andrea Celina, Garcia’s wife, posted on her Instagram account. “We are not together, and I’ve been in contact with him, and he may seem fine, but he is not.
“I know in my heart he is being heavily oppressed. This is not a troll; I’m genuinely concerned, and so are all his family members. We are not part of any of this and want him to get better, but this is real. Pray for him.”
Celina gave no additional context or explanation.
Following the conclusion of the press tour to promote the April 20 Garcia-Haney fight, Golden Boy Promotions, which has promoted Garcia throughout his professional career, has not provided any updates or comments on the fighter or his social media posts.
By Ben Blackwell