Ryan Garcia’s comeback begins with exhibition, then ‘everybody, anything’ is on the table

LOS ANGELES – Ryan Garcia is making the most of his time on the sidelines due to suspension by taking on Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in an exhibition on December 30 in Tokyo, Japan.

Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine after his April 20 fight against Devin Haney. Garcia’s majority decision win, which featured three knockdowns, has since been changed to a no contest due to the violation, and Haney has even sued Garcia for battery after the fight. 

Garcia, 26, is using the showcase opportunity overseas to get a head start on his eventual return, which can’t be until April 20, 2025.

“This exhibition is something that we’ve been discussing for a while, and it finally happened and came together,” Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez told BoxingScene on Saturday as the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation hosted its 25th Annual Turkey Giveaway at the Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High School.

“We’re his promoters, so we’re involved. We’re finalizing all of the final details [with the contracted weight and rounds] now. It’s great for Japan to be able to have a star like Ryan do his thing. It’s not a professional fight, but it’s somewhat of a fight. He’s in his prime. It’s more of a stay-busy thing, and he wants to stay in shape. It’s a win-win.”

Gomez said Garcia is in a better place now after a tumultuous promotion to the Haney fight that featured a heavy diet of erratic behavior from Garcia on social media. The uneven ride led all the way to the fight, which featured Garcia coming in 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound contracted weight limit. 

“[The state of Ryan] is great,” said Gomez. “He’s motivated. He’s serving his suspension, but it’s something that has given him a chance to reflect. It’s helped him mature. He’s concentrating on his family and his kids. He’s training and staying in shape. It’s good and all positive. 

“Right now, his big thing is that he can’t wait to come back and start going after some of these big names out there. Come April 20 and anytime after, he can return when the suspension is done. We’re already starting to have some preliminary talks and trying to come up with an idea of when he could return. A rematch with Haney is being considered as well. But there is no specific opponent.”

Gomez noted that Garcia’s comeback could be limited to the available opponent pool based on boxing’s developing schedule through the first quarter of 2025. 

“We have to wait and see what happens with some of the other fighters,” said Gomez. “There are many fighters we are considering. He’s very serious at fighting at 154 pounds. He’s told us he’s willing to fight there. You see him – he’s a big kid, tall, and has the frame for it. He carries the weight well and works hard to get down to 140. Honestly, I don’t even know if he can even make 140 pounds any more. But he can challenge any of those guys

“Personally, I would like for him to take some sort of a tuneup fight, but knowing Ryan, he’s going to want to go after a real name. I wouldn’t go after the top champions just yet, but he’s going to want to fight a real fighter. We’re considering everybody and anything.” 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.