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Ryan Garcia Compares His Smoking Habit to Mike Tyson While Addressing “Confusion” Regarding Rules in Boxing

Published 03/24/2024, 5:13 PM EDT

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In the heart of Los Angeles, the air crackled with crude heat. Not from the California sun, but from the face-off between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. Whispers of past drug use had swirled around Garcia, and while he vehemently denied them and even offered a live test to quell doubts, a shadow of his marijuana and alcohol use still lingered.

During their last press conference, across the stage stood Devin Haney, calm and collected, a stark contrast to Garcia’s nervous energy. Both came with their A-game – confidence bordering on arrogance. The press conference ended with a tense stand-off. Though Haney continued to allege that Ryan Garcia was hooked on drugs, his clean bill from VADA was good enough for him. However, Garcia addressed the unfair policies present in boxing when it comes to smoking marijuana.

Ryan Garcia thinks some rules are unfair

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After the erratic posts of Ryan Garcia, a majority of the boxing community was concerned about the mental health of the boxer. So much so that many even wondered if Garcia was healthy enough to indulge in a boxing match. This, however, offended Ryan Garcia a little bit, since he couldn’t understand why the New York State Athletic Commission was pushing for a mental evaluation just for him.

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In his appearance on the Full Send Podcast, he said, “Yo, what is your premises for this mental evaluation? What am I doing that’s cause for mental evaluation?… Why aren’t they testing Devin Haney? And why you telling me to stop smoking we*d, when you don’t ask Mike Tyson to stop doing shrooms and smoking? You know damn well, he’s getting in that ring high.” While comparing himself to Mike Tyson, the hosts, however, informed Garcia that even Tyson was being stopped from smoking marijuana ahead of his fight against Jake Paul.

So, Garcia complied, “It’s like why is that a problem, but again if it’s rules, it’s rules, and will stop. But I just think that it’s unfair. So that it could be legal in Cali and not here, just like it’s just too much confusion.” As of now, Ryan Garcia still hasn’t been forced to undergo a mental health evaluation by the NYSAC. However, if things do go south, he may have to undergo such a test in order to enter a boxing ring in New York. But Eddie Hearn believes that things don’t seem to be as bad as it looks with Garcia.

Eddie Hearn believes Garcia isn’t unfit for the upcoming fight

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Ryan Garcia’s wild online behavior has cast a shadow over his much-anticipated fight with Devin Haney. Many fear the clash will be scrapped altogether. However, seasoned boxing promoter Eddie Hearn offers a glimmer of hope. Hearn highlights the presence of experienced figures around Ryan Garcia, particularly his trainer Derrick James.

He believes James wouldn’t green-light the fight unless Garcia is fully prepared. He also added, “Oscar De La Hoya, who’s got huge experience in championship fights. Bernard Hopkins, obviously [Garcia’s] family. So you’ve got to presume that in training that things are going alright… It is four weeks away, the fight, and the closer it gets probably the more chance it has of happening… Maybe inside the room things aren’t as bad as they appear on social media.”

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Ryan Garcia might come prepared for Devin Haney, and this may all just be a tactic to throw off his opponent a bit. This is something that only time will tell. What are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports. Having authored close to 2K articles, he is a live-coverage specialist, contributing to the detailed reportage of live boxing events ranging from the Jermell Charlo vs Canelo Alvarez bout to Ryan Garcia vs Gervonta Davis. Moreover, his coverage of the off-court drama between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury received widespread appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai