Teofimo Lopez Tells Ryan Garcia To ‘Get Off Social Media’ If He Wants To Save Career
Super-lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez Jr has advised Ryan Garcia to “get off social media” and slim down his entourage if he wants to salvage his boxing career.
Garcia is enduring another tumultuous week after being handed a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission for two failed drug tests ahead of his April bout with Devin Haney.
‘King Ry’ won the fight in a thriller, sending the WBC super-lightweight world champion to the canvas three times on his way to a majority decision victory. But the result, which did not come with Haney’s world title after Garcia missed weight by more than 3lbs, has been overturned while Garcia has been forced to forfeit the $1 million purse he earned for the fight.
The doping scandal is the latest problem Garcia has dealt with in recent months and years. The Californian took a 15-month hiatus from boxing following his win over Luke Campbell in January 2021 to deal with highly publicized mental health problems, while his erratic behavior in the lead-up to his fight with Haney led to fresh concerns about his psychological well-being.
To add to his professional issues, Garcia revealed that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer and he is going through a divorce.
Garcia ‘Needs To Focus On Family’
Lopez, who struggled himself earlier in his career with mental health problems, believes the best way for Garcia to gain a grip on a situation that threatens to spiral out of control is to disconnect.
“I think he needs to get off social media – just get out,” Lopez told Boxing News. “Just literally get out of the whole thing. I know he was trying to keep himself on a kind of celebratory tour after the biggest win of his career.
“But you have to eventually just exit out of it and get off the grid. He needs to let people wonder ‘where is Ryan Garcia?’ Instead of them seeing him everywhere. Then you get to find yourself.”
Lopez also believes that Garcia would benefit from choosing wisely the people he surrounds himself with, adding: “The people he has around him are young kids. They are really just absorbing all that light he has in him. They are taking it all for their own advantage. What happens is that people feel like they’re more superior and you get a lost case like you’re seeing with Ryan Garcia.
“It’s all about who you surround yourself with. It’s not necessarily the mental stuff happening on social media, you get used to it eventually. But it’s the other part – there are people around him that he doesn’t need no more and he needs to just be on his own or be with his mother during these times. Or be with his father and really regroup with his family. Just stay there man, you have kids too. Be that part.”
Lopez Clarifies Garcia Mother Comments
Lopez received plenty of criticism for comments he made regarding Garcia’s mother’s cancer diagnosis, implying that her illness was a result of her son “selling his soul”. Unsurprisingly, Garcia did not respond well to the quotes and Lopez sought to clarify his comments.
“I’m talking to Ryan Garcia here. I know you want to fight me when you see me in person. That’s fine. I didn’t mean no bad towards your mother in that essence. If you really look into it, I did say I really do wish your mum nothing but health. Cancer is not something to play with,” the WBA super-lightweight world champion said.
“But people are going to say what they’re going to say and tell you specifically that part of it and not talk about the good that I meant. But to each his own. If you want to duke it out outside the ring, I’ve got to defend myself, brother. So you’ve got to be the stupid guy to throw first, I’ve got to defend myself. I won’t be the guy to punch you, that’s not how we do things around here. My fighting is in the ring and I’ve always been expressive on that.
“Don’t focus on outside noise. Focus on the things in your life that really matter. Because all that money doesn’t come with you – it’s going to go. I don’t even mean you harm, brother. You can say I’m a liar but I don’t lie. Wishing you nothing but the best, again.”
