Ryan Garcia, the 26-year-old former boxing champion, has gone under the knife for a hand injury that affected his performance in his recent fight. Garcia showed his followers the aftermath of his surgery on his right hand, raising questions about his boxing future.
Garcia's operation came after a tough loss to Rolando Romero on May 2. During that fight, Garcia's performance wasn't up to his usual standards. He only threw about 17.5 punches per round and landed just 48 power punches - way below what fans expect from him.
The boxer revealed he'd been dealing with a serious hand injury before the fight. He even got cortisone shots to deal with the pain but decided to go ahead with the match anyway.
On Wednesday, Dr. Stephen Shin performed the surgery. Shin's a well-known surgeon who's treated other top boxers like Canelo Alvarez and Vasyl Lomachenko.
After the operation, Garcia told his fans, "I'll be back." But reactions were mixed. Some people worried about his future, while others didn't buy his explanation.
"Career over, he will never beat an elite boxer clean," one comment read.
Another skeptic said, "Seems like it was self-inflicted... don't believe that cheat," referring to Garcia's recent positive test for banned substances.
Oscar de la Hoya, Garcia's promoter, thinks the young boxer needs a break. He said:
"Take the whole year off, to calm down, to find his balance again."
For now, a rematch with Devin Haney won't happen. But de la Hoya hasn't ruled out a second fight with Romero down the line.
Garcia's career hangs in the balance. At just 26, he's facing one of the toughest challenges of his life. Many wonder if he'll bounce back to his former glory or if this marks the end of his time in the ring.
