Garcia Unfit For Anpo Exhibition After Wrist Injury
Ryan Garcia is not fit to face Rukiya Anpo in their December 30 exhibition after suffering a wrist injury.
Garcia was set to have his first fight since the Devin Haney clash in April. He secured a majority decision victory after dropping his man three times. However, it was turned into a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for Ostarine. He was also given a year ban. He cannot box professionally until April 2025. The Anpo fight was seen as a way for him to remain active and earn money he had lost. Two press conferences have already taken place for the fight.
Anpo pushed Garcia in the first presser, showing he had no fear. The pair were then absent from the next presser, choosing to do it via video link. Garcia was also facing issues from Oscar De La Hoya. The Golden Boy Promoter said he needed to agree to any fight before it could go ahead. His comments suggested this had not been done, leaving questions about the fight.
“Golden Boy Promotions has exclusive rights to Ryan Garcia’s fights. The organizers of this event have acknowledged as such and have agreed in writing that our sign-off is needed for this event to occur. As no such sign-off has been given, as of today there is no event with Ryan Garcia,” De La Hoya stated
But the injury has made that irrelevant. Dr. Steven Shin (Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics) examined Garcia over ‘aggravated bilateral wrist pain.’ He then suggested that Garcia take some time off from sparring, meaning the fight cannot proceed.
Garcia’s Injury
“I saw Mr. Ryan Garcia on December 12 for recently aggravated bilateral wrist pain. I recommend that he hold off on sparring and boxing matches for several weeks. Treatment options will be discussed with Mr. Garcia after further evaluation,” Shin stated
“I’ve been eagerly preparing for my upcoming exhibition fight in Japan, training hard in Dallas over the past several weeks. Unfortunately, I sustained a hand injury during training and returned to Los Angeles to be seen by the doctor,” Garcia said
The plan is to make the fight happen before Garcia returns to professional boxing next year. But Garcia’s camp must decide whether it is worth taking that risk in case Ryan makes the injury worse, knowing he can box professionally very soon. The wider reaction suggests the fight will still happen.
New Date?
“I have been told that Ryan is out due to an injury. I am disappointed to say the least, but knocking out an injured opponent won’t mean anything, so I wish him a speedy recovery and hope I can face the 100% version of Ryan Garcia. Get well soon and I’ll let you kiss my fist any time,” Anpo said
“It’s unfortunate to announce that Ryan vs. Anpo will be postponed due Ryan’s injury which occurred during training. I would like to apologize to all the fans who were looking forward to this fight on New Year’s, but we will be announcing a new date very soon in which both fighters will be able to meet at their best health and condition. We truly appreciate everybody’s understanding,” RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara
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