Ryan Garcia's return fight has been officially announced, and he's seemingly made big plans for the first half of 2025.
Garcia's ring return isn't a professional and sanctioned boxing match. It's an exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo, the fighter who fought Manny Pacquiao in a custom rules match in July at Super RIZIN 3.
That fight is scheduled to happen on December 30 in Japan.
"I'm looking forward to knocking Anpo out for trying to knock out the legend Manny Pacquiao," Garcia said in a statement to the media. "Manny [Pacquiao] is past his prime, and for him to try to knock him out rubbed me the wrong way. I will knock him out and teach him a lesson of respect."
Garcia is not eligible to box in a sanctioned professional boxing match until April 2025, when his one-year suspension for testing positive for banned substances has ended.
Garcia defeated bitter rival Devin Haney via unanimous decision in April 2024, flooring the latter three times. However, the fight's result was changed to a no contest following the findings in Garcia's A and B samples.
In a social media post Garcia released on Monday, he announced his plans to face Anpo, whom he called "the guy who fought aging Manny Pac and tried to knock him out."
Garcia's purse for his exhibition fight with Anpo wasn't revealed, but it would be a shock if it's not at least a seven-figure payday. The fight with Anpo will be at a 153-pound catch weight, so Garcia shouldn't have to cut too much weight to compete.
He failed to make the 140-pound limit ahead of the fight with Haney. Some believe that struggle is what led to Garcia using a banned substance to help him get under the weight limit.
Garcia also called out Jake Paul, whom he targets for fighting and defeating Mike Tyson on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Here is the post:
Garcia's desire to, in his mind, avenge the honor of aging legends could be an attempt to shift public perception. It's been a rough year for Garcia's reputation, as many have slapped unsavory labels on him because of his behavior and erratic social media activity.
A KO victory over Anpo will draw some attention, but how many people share Garcia's thoughts on how the veteran kickboxer approached his fight with Pacquiao is unclear. However, far more fans took issue with Paul fighting a 58-year-old Tyson. If Garcia were to fight and defeat Paul, a large contingent of people would sing his praises. Never mind that Tyson was grateful and appeared to benefit significantly from his fight with Paul.
He earned a whopping $20 million for his efforts in the 16-minute fight, where he took almost no real damage. Perception is important; in this instance, it potentially creates a situation where Garcia can make a huge payday for himself. Meanwhile, we're at a point where it seems combat sports need a new category.
Rather than calling these novelty fights boxing or MMA, another designation seems in order. There is no doubt that there is a sizable audience that is interested. Also, there is no questioning how profitable it can be when two uber-popular people are involved.
However, casual fans need to know the difference between these events and those with more serious fighters competing at the highest level of their sport.