What Happened And How Long Will He Be Out?

Ryan Garcia reportedly suffered a hand injury ahead of his unanimous-decision loss to Rolly Romero on May 2 in New York. According to the Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Garcia has already undergone surgery and will not be able to train for six weeks.

Garcia’s absence from training puts his planned fall return in question.

Romero dropped Garcia and coasted to an uneventful but clear victory. Garcia was widely criticized for a lack of activity in the fight, but while he offered no excuses for his performance at the time, the hand injury could have played a role in his inactivity.

When Garcia faced Romero, the 26-year-old hadn’t fought since April 2024 when he faced rival Devin Haney. While Garcia dropped Haney three times in that fight, his win was turned into a no-contest after he tested positive for a banned substance.

The positive test resulted in a one-year suspension.

The fight with Romero was supposed to be the first in string of bouts against compelling competition orchestrated by boxing power broker, Turki Alalshikh. The idea was to have Garcia face Haney in a rematch in the fall–provided both won in the historic, but underwhelming Times Square show.

Haney did his part in defeating Jose Ramirez–albeit in a very boring fight–but Garcia’s loss has seemingly created significant doubt as to whether we’ll ever see the two stars rematch.

If Garcia can’t train for six weeks, it stands to reason he could start a training camp in August. He’d likely want 10-12 weeks to prepare for his return.

Traditionally, a fighter of Garcia’s class would have an eight-week training camp. However, considering Garcia will have been unable to train for six weeks, he might need more time to get himself back into fight shape.

Don’t expect Garcia to hop back into the ring with a championship-level fighter upon his return. It would not be a shock to see him face a relatively unknown pro or even an influencer in his return fight.

I spoke to Garcia ahead of his fight with Romero and he told me winning a title isn’t necessary for him. He admits it would be nice, but he enjoys testing himself against world-class fighters and taking advantage of his opportunity to earn sizable paydays.

Because of his fame, but less-than-ideal situation as a contender, it may be hard for Garcia to turn down the bag that would be attached to a fight with an influencer. I wouldn’t rule out some sort of exhibition against Jake Paul. While the fight would have its share of critics, Garcia and Paul are both so polarizing that I could easily see it becoming the biggest fight of the year from a commercial and revenue standpoint.

If it comes to fruition, don’t be shocked.

What’s Next in Boxing?

Here is a look at the upcoming boxing schedule over the next two weekends.

May 31, 2025

Caleb Plant vs. Armando Reséndiz

Jermall Charlo vs. Thomas LaManna

Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV

June 7, 2025

Callum Simpson vs. Giovanni Zucco (European Title)

Oakwell, Barnsley, UK

1:00 PM ET

Fabio Wardley vs. Justis Huni

Pierce O’Leary vs. Kane Dillon

Danny Gilley vs. Ryan Greene

Portman Road, Ipswich, UK

1:00 PM ET

Keyshawn Davis vs. Edwin De Los Santos (WBO World Lightweight Title)

Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremiah Nakathila

Scope Arena, Norfolk, VA

8:00 PM ET

June 8, 2025

Jai Opetaia vs. Luca Squeo (The Ring Cruiserweight Title)

Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast, Australia

Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida (The Ring Bantamweight Title)

Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Jonathan Santillan

Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan

4:00 AM ET