Ryan Garcia’s exhibition boxing match against Rukiya Anpo has been postponed to 2025 due to a wrist injury, amid ongoing controversies and his suspension in the U.S. for a failed drug test.
Ryan Garcia won’t be stepping into the ring again in 2024. Yep, you heard right.
FANMIO, co-promoting with RIZIN, dropped the news on Sunday. They announced via press release that Garcia’s exhibition boxing match against Rukiya Anpo, originally slated for Dec. 30, is postponed. Why? A wrist injury during training camp.
The new date? TBD in 2025. So, mark your calendars… or maybe not just yet.
“I’ve been training hard in Dallas for my fight in Japan,” Garcia shared in the release. “But a hand injury changed plans. Back in L.A., my doc said to hold off on the December 30 exhibition.”
Garcia added, “This setback is temporary. I apologize to my fans, FANMIO, RIZIN, and Anpo. No one’s more bummed than me. Thanks for sticking by me.”
Oh, and there’s been some controversy swirling around this bout. Oscar De La Hoya, head of Golden Boy Promotions, hadn’t signed off on it initially. Though RIZIN’s president Nobuyuki Sakakibara seems confident it’ll happen eventually.
Adding fuel to the fire, Anpo skipped a Tokyo press conference meant to hype up the fight. His reason? He overslept and doesn’t respect Garcia.
Anpo chimed in on Sunday’s press release too: “Ryan’s out due to injury. Disappointing but beating an injured opponent means zilch. Wishing him a swift recovery so I can face a fully fit Ryan Garcia. Get well soon—and hey, my fist is ready whenever you are!”
And let’s not forget: Garcia’s involvement was sketchy from the start. He’s under suspension in the U.S. for a failed drug test linked to his April 20 fight with Devin Haney—initially a majority decision win overturned to a no-contest after the test results came out. Plus, he missed weight by 3.5 pounds, making him ineligible for Haney’s WBC super lightweight title anyway.
So yeah, drama galore!