WBC president expels Ryan Garcia after racially charged online rant

Ryan Garcia has been expelled from the World Boxing Council, marking the latest fallout for the embattled boxer.
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman made the announcement on X on Thursday, citing Garcia’s bizarre social media behavior, where he repeatedly used racial slurs and made disparaging remarks about George Floyd, a Black man who died in 2020 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.
“Exercising my authority as president of the WBC, I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization,” Sulaiman said. “We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for (Garcia’s) well being.”
A publicist for Garcia did not immediately respond to request for comment regarding the WBC’s action. A representative for Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Garcia, also did not immediately respond to request for comment.
In addition to his suspension from the WBC, Garcia is also serving a year-long suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for a banned substance prior to his April fight against Devin Haney, which Garcia won in dominant fashion. Garcia defeated Haney by majority decision after scoring three knock-downs, but his victory has since been changed to a “no contest.”
There were questions surrounding Garcia’s mental fitness heading into the highly anticipated bout with Haney following erratic behavior online. The latest incident has caused more concern for fans, but Sulaiman said Garcia “declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse.”
Last month, Garcia was arrested at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Beverly Hills for felony vandalism after reportedly causing more than $15,000 in damages to a guest room and the hallway of the hotel, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Oscar De La Hoya, the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Garcia, said, “There is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period.”
“I condemn Ryan’s words in the strongest terms possible,” De La Hoya said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “I see that he has apologized, and that is a start — but it is only a start to earn back the trust and respect of those of us who have and continue to support him. We hope Ryan will use the time he has away from the sport to work through the issues he has publicly discussed. We stand ready to help in whatever we can.”