Ryan Garcia's manager says hand injury "was a problem" during Rolando Romero loss

Ryan Garcia's manager Guadalupe Valencia has claimed that Ryan Garcia's hand injury caused him problems throughout his loss to Rolando Romero.

Turbulent is the word that comes to mind when alluding to Ryan Garcia’s boxing career in recent years.

The highs of defeating Devin Haney, only for the bout to be declared a no contest after testing positive for a banned substance.

Over a year out of boxing and Garcia returned to fight Rolando Romero, viewed by many as a stepping stone for the inevitable rematch with Haney.

He was, however, defeated upon his return, losing to Romero via unanimous decision in a result that halted his progress, and undoubtedly changed his plans.

While Garcia’s trainer and boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has stated that Garcia v Haney ‘doesn’t merit a rematch’ after respectively poor performances at Times Square, Garcia’s manager Guadalupe Valencia has seemingly jumped to the defence of his client, suggesting the 26 year old was carrying an injury that affected his most recent loss.

Valencia told USA TODAY:

Yes, his injury was a problem during the Romero fight. But, that is in the past, and we don’t want to make excuses.

"He is feeling good and positive and will be back in the fall.”

While Valencia didn’t clarify when the injury occurred, reports suggest that it was within the training camp before the fight.

“When Ryan is well, he will be back and will have an elite level performance,” Valencia added.

“This past fight vs. Romero is a minor setback. Ryan at 100% is unbeatable.

“Honestly, right now, we just need his hand to heal. We will discuss his future plans in the coming weeks. There are several important options, including Haney.’’

A decisive point in Garcia’s career where the next opponent has to be the right one, clarity is expected regarding his next steps in the not-too-distant future.

Ellis Statham

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