Boxer Ryan Garcia is threatening to sue the New York State Athletic Commission for asking him to take a mental health evaluation ahead of his April 20 super lightweight championship bout with Devin Haney in Brooklyn.
Garcia revealed the NYSAC request for a mental health evaluation while recording a social media video following two weeks of bizarre behavior online.
‘I’m gonna sue you for defamation of character actually,’ Garcia said in the self-shot video.
Garcia appears agitated in the footage and is seen pacing around a room while speaking with the camera. Earlier Friday, he posted video of himself crying over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza before both his X and Instagram accounts were deactivated. However, those pages have since been reactivated.
Somehow Garcia’s promoter and Golden Boy founder Oscar De La Hoya is insisting that his fighter is in ‘great spirits’ despite Garcia’s inexplicable behavior, which has included everything from allegations of sexual abuse to his claim that billionaire Elon Musk is the antichrist. Garcia even threatened to bite Haney’s ears on April 20 in a nod to Mike Tyson’s infamous 1997 bout with Evander Holyfield.
Ryan Garcia’s latest self-shot video shows the 25-year-old pacing around an apartment
Oscar De La Hoya is insisting that Ryan Garcia will be ready to fight Devin Haney on April 20
Garcia has his work cut out for him against super lightweight champion Devin Haney (left)
‘Ryan Garcia, I just talked to him,’ Garcia told DAZN during Saturday’s William Zepeda-Maxi Hughes fight card. ‘He’s in great spirits. He’s working his a** off in the gym. Don’t mind the posts – that takes like five, 10 seconds of his time. He’s working hard every single minute of the day.’
NYSAC director Matthew Delaglio declined comment to ESPN, but the network did get a statement from Golden Boy spokesman Stefan Friedman.
‘As is the case with all Golden Boy fights, we are in close contact with the commission and sanctioning bodies and will of course follow any and all rules and regulations to ensure our fighters are ready on fight night,’ Friedman told ESPN.
Meanwhile WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has said he remains in contact with the commission about Garcia’s behavior.
Of course, Garcia’s latest video won’t help his claim that he’s mentally fit to face Haney in Brooklyn on April 20.
‘I’m gonna sue the NYC commission,’ Garcia is heard saying in the viral clip. ‘And I’m saying this why?
‘They’re trying to challenge me for a mental evaluation. I said ‘What is your premises (sic) for the mental evaluation?’
Garcia was so upset over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that he posted video of himself crying
According to the 25-year-old, the NYSAC was concerned about his ‘tweets and posts.’
‘I said: ”Is it not my US constitutional right to have free speech?” Garcia continued.
‘So because I’m tweeting what I’m tweeting, that’s a premises (sic) for a mental evaluation? That’s curious. So now you’re trying to mess with my constitutional rights. Now I’m gonna sue you. I’m gonna sue you for defamation of character actually.’
Garcia goes on to discuss his own drug use, claiming that his therapist recommended he use marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms and even ayahuasca, which he struggled to pronounce.
‘My own therapist told me I should be smoking weed,’ he said. ‘She told me… maybe you should try [ayahuasca].’
The video ended with Garcia bizarrely claiming ‘they’re stopping me from smoking weed’ and adding ‘that should be against the law.’
Of course, this is just the latest from Garcia, who has been frightening fight fans for weeks with his antics.
On March 3, fans worried when Garcia’s accounts posted a disturbing clip claiming his death
Garcia’s X and Instagram accounts were deactivated shortly after posting a video on Friday
The level of concern for Garcia peaked on March 3 when a cryptic and disturbing video claiming he was dead after getting his ‘throat slit’ was posted on his social media accounts.
Over the next 72 hours, Garcia alleged he was raped by a family member at the age of two, has evidence of aliens existing, and witnessed children being raped by ‘the elites’ after being tied up at Bohemian Grove.
Garcia also claimed that an earthquake would ‘destroy’ Hollywood and Las Vegas while labelling Musk the ‘Antichrist’.
On Wednesday, Garcia revealed that he is looking for a girlfriend while posting a topless picture on his Instagram story. The post came after he announced his relationship with influencer Mikaela Testa in February following his divorce from Andrea Celina.