Ryan Garcia will undergo a surgery for the injury on Monday and is expected to be sidelined into 2022, postponing the bout with Diaz.
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Ryan Garcia’s difficulties getting back in the ring continue as news broke Friday afternoon that the 23-year-old had suffered a hand injury and a planned November 27 showdown with Joseph Diaz Jr. would be postponed, the promotion announced. The news comes slightly more than one week after the bout was officially announced.
I want to thank my fans for all the continued support. We are postponing my next fight for a couple of months as a result of a signifacant hand injury that requires immediate surgery. I will undergo surgery at Cedars-Sinai on Monday. I promise early 2022 I will return better!
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) October 15, 2021
Garcia was scheduled to face Javier Fortuna on July 9 when he withdrew to focus on his mental health. Garcia faced some criticism at the time, with allegations that the young star was not a fully committed boxer despite a dramatic January knockout of Luke Campbell in a fight where Garcia picked himself up from the canvas after suffering a brutal knockdown. Garcia’s speed and skills have been clear but his embrace of social media has drawn negative attention from some corners of the boxing world.
A fight with Diaz would mark the first time Garcia has ever faced a former world champion. Diaz is a former featherweight and super featherweight champion and won the interim WBC lightweight title in his most recent fight, stepping in for Garcia to take a wide decision over Fortuna.
Garcia will undergo surgery for the injury on Monday and is expected to be sidelined into 2022.
“I want to thank my fans for all the continued support,” Garcia said. “We are postponing my next fight for a couple of months as a result of a significant hand injury that requires immediate surgery. I will undergo surgery at Cedars-Sinai on Monday. I promise early 22 I will return better, faster, and stronger than ever. I love you guys!”
Mikey Garcia made his way to the ring on Saturday night in Fresno, California, riding on a flatbed trailer as fireworks shot off around the arena. Unfortunately for Garcia, he was unable to produce any fireworks in the ring, dropping a decision to unheralded Sandor Martin in an upset that ranks among the biggest in recent memory.
Garcia’s footwork was slow as Martin made good on pre-fight talk that he would take away Garcias’s normally effective aggression. Martin slid along the outside of the ring, popping off quick punches, including repeatedly connecting with a hard overhand left.
By the late rounds of the 10-round fight, Garcia seemed hesitant to come forward, potentially worried about the speed and clean punching from the Spaniard as the Fresno crowd’s enthusiasm drained.
Martin was the fresher fighter at the final bell, even winning one of the first true wild exchanges of power shots along the ropes in the final seconds of the fight.
Boxing judges often turn in scorecards that seem out of line with what all other observers witnessed, lending tension to the reading of the totals. In the end, the scorecards read 95-95 and 97-93 twice, awarding Martin the majority decision victory.
