Ryan Garcia insists he doesn’t drink alcohol, even though his father, Henry, believes his son needs assist to overcome his addiction.
The 25-year-old continues to make headlines for his behaviour, most recently for appearing on a World Poker Tour broadcast while clearly intoxicated. Garcia was seen pounding shots of tequila as he sat alongside Brazilian sensation Neymar, fellow boxer Chris Eubank Jr. and basketball star Jimmy Butler.
A viral clip of Garcia’s behavior has surfaced online, including World Boxing News. However, Garcia doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with him having fun, despite Henry’s pleas.
Henry responded to Fight Hub TV’s question about Ryan’s health: “I haven’t talked to Ryan in a long time. He talks to his mother more than he talks to me, but that’s okay. He’ll call me when he wants to.
“I wish he would go to therapy for his drinking. He says he can control it. I hope he can, but if he can’t, then he should go to therapy so he can stop. That’s the main problem.”
Marcos Villegas then asked why Henry and his son weren’t talking. Henry replied, “He’s just there, at twenty-five. I know when I was twenty-five, I didn’t call my parents unless I needed them. So I guess that’s the point where he’ll call me when he needs me.”
After watching the video interview, Ryan released his own statement about what Henry said during the conversation.
“I don’t even drink anymore,” Ryan noted. “My dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I literally just talked to him — and he apologized.”
In any case, Garcia certainly isn’t behaving in a way that suggests he’s focused on anything in particular. Now that his boxing career is on hold due to a year-long suspension, it’s unlikely to improve in the coming months.
A planned UFC debut is now off the menu due to sanctions issues stemming from his ban. The moment Garcia tries to get a license to fight in any combat sport, a Recent York State Athletic Commission fine will come into play.
That’s why interest in Garcia isn’t going to wane anytime soon.