Undefeated lightweight contender Ryan Garcia has no regrets sharing his personal battle with mental health ... despite the mixed reactions he says he received from fans.
The 23-year-old Garcia - who is ramping up for his in-ring return in April - discussed what the response has been like since stepping away from boxing because he was battling depression and having suicidal thoughts.
"Boxing fans are a little bit more harsh than say, if you're a singer. Even in the NFL or NBA, if you come out [to reveal your problems], maybe you'll get a better response. But, I guess for boxing, you gotta be as tough as you can be. Or you're scared if you don't fight but, you know, it just comes with territory," Garcia told TMZ Sports.
The last time we saw Garcia in a boxing ring was January 2021, when he got off the floor to score a knockout of Olympic gold medal winner Luke Campbell in the seventh round.
The upcoming fight will take place on April 9, against Emmanuel Tagoe. DAZN will stream the event.
Garcia explained that the long layoff led some boxing fans to question his toughness -- something he says is never in question when he steps inside the squared circle.
"It's been tough just hearing all these things about me, all these opinions on why, or what's the truth on the reasoning on why I'm not fighting. I gotta hear about myself and character. This hate, this noise, I know how special I am when I step into the ring -- that's never been a problem. When I get in the ring, I always show heart and I always show determination," Garcia said.
The silver lining is, Garcia says for all the hate and criticism he's received for his transparency, a lot of athletes, influencers and even people on the street have reached out to commend him on speaking up before it was too late.
Garcia also has a Snapchat series coming out on mental health, where he will interview guests on the topic.
