Oscar De La Hoya Statement on Racism Against Ryan Garcia: “There Is No Place for It in My Company”

Ryan Garcia made racist and Islamophobic comments on social media this week, sparking a backlash from the boxing community and beyond.

The 25-year-old has worried fans this year with his erratic behavior, starting with his social media antics in the lead-up to his fight against Devin Haney. He then missed the weigh-in but won the fight by majority decision, scoring three knockdowns. It was later revealed that Garcia had tested positive for a banned substance the day before and the day of the fight.

Now banned for a year by the New York State Athletic Commission, Garcia’s social media has become increasingly volatile and bizarre, culminating in extremely offensive comments.

Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy’s manager and Garcia’s promoter, has now released the following statement:

“There is no place for hate or intolerance in my company. Period. I condemn Ryan’s comments in the strongest possible terms. I see he apologized, and that’s a start – but it’s only a start in regaining the trust and respect of those of us who supported him and continue to support him.

We hope Ryan will use his time away from the sport to address the issues he has publicly raised. We stand ready to assist in any way we can.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman “expelled” Garcia from competing in his sanctioning body, and Garcia’s family also condemned the comments and urged Ryan to seek help.

In his own statement, the fighter said his comments had been taken out of context.