Roughly a week before the Rolly Romero fight, Ryan Garcia received the much-needed clearance from the New York Athletic Commission. 12 months before, he was the darling of the boxing world. In an exciting thriller, he had trounced Devin Haney. But the doping controversy became his undoing. The match became a ‘no-contest.’ Along with a slew of financial penalties, Garcia received a year-long suspension. So for the comeback fight, most expected him to sail through Romero’s challenge. But shocking everyone, Garcia’s former sparring partner knocked him down in round 2 and clinched a decisive victory.

And with that, the fate of the much-anticipated rematch with Haney also became uncertain. Yet, Garcia’s troubles were far from over. Reports emerged that he had to undergo a hand surgery, thus forcing a further absence of 6-8 weeks before he could resume his training. But while he fends off the challenges, a silver lining remains for Garcia. It’s the support of a few near and dear ones. One among them in particular is Canelo Alvarez. As he prepares for the big battle against Terence Crawford, the super middleweight king offered a few words of encouragement for his embattled stablemate.

The kick-off press conference of the Canelo-Crawford concluded in Riyadh. Post-event, the Mexican icon interacted with media representatives. Questions typically centered around the September 13 showdown at the Allegiant Stadium. As he replied about a potential matchup with Chris Eubank Jr., a reporter asked, “What do you think of Ryan Garcia?” Canelo Alvarez had only one answer: “I love Ryan Garcia, and I hope he did…the best for him.“

One could clearly see the love and compassion a senior has for a young team member. But this will not be the first time Canelo has expressed his support for Ryan Garcia. A day after the Times Square event, in Riyadh, Canelo defeated William Scull and became an undisputed champion once again.

Later, when a few reporters checked for his views on Garcia’s loss, he said, “I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for him, but he’s boxing this boxing, and you know things happen.” Ryan Garcia and Canelo have known each other for years. In fact, until 2022, he was training under Eddy Reynoso, Canelo’s longtime coach.

But parting ways, he joined Joe Goossen’s stable. Later, following the loss to Gervonta Davis, he switched over to Derrick James. Ahead of the Romero fight, reports surfaced that Garcia had once again joined the Reynoso stable. But given Reynoso is badly held up by the Crawford fight, he thought it prudent to get back to Derrick James.

The latest predicament has only raised further questions on Ryan Garcia’s future.

Ryan Garcia weathering storms

According to the initial reports, the former interim lightweight titleholder needs at least six weeks of recovery before he can even get back to his training regimen. So that means at least till August-September, Ryan Garcia will be out of boxing. But then, even when he returns, uncertainties linger. While he has expressed a willingness to rematch Rolando Romero, to most fans, it’s the second fight with Devin Haney that matters the most. But as Bill Haney recently specified, that fight is now off the table, at least for the time being.

Expressing optimism, in his latest tweet, Garcia said, “People have to remember that boxing ain’t for the weak. I came off a year of being an alcoholic suffering from bipolar depression disorder. I’m fine with the judgment, but I’m ready to come back and show you can come back from anything. God is with me. 🥊🥊🥊.”

Despite lacking a world title, the 26-year-old remains one of boxing’s top draws. Hopefully, he’s able to reset the career before it’s too late.

Who would you want Ryan Garcia to fight next?