Ryan Garcia is banned from boxing, but we’ll still see him in the ring before the year is out.
Garcia is set to face Rukiya Anpo in an exhibition match on Dec. 30 in Tokyo, the boxers announced today on social media. Fanmio will produce and distribute the pay-per-view event.
Anpo isn’t a pugilist by trade. The 29-year-old Japanese fighter has 36 professional kickboxing bouts to his name, of which he has won 27. He has competed on K-1 and RIZIN shows — RIZIN will stage his exhibition with Garcia — and previously held the K-1 super lightweight title.
But Anpo is perhaps best known for his exhibition match with Manny Pacquiao in July. Although exhibition matches don’t have judges, many felt Anpo got the better of the 45-year-old legend over the three rounds they shared. Prior to the bout, Pacquiao aimed to return to professional boxing and challenge for Mario Barrios’ WBC welterweight title, however his performance put a halt to those plans.
Garcia, a controversial American superstar, was suspended for one year by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) after testing positive for ostarine in a pre-fight VADA test in the lead-up to his bout with Devin Haney. Garcia weighed in 3.25 pounds overweight and dropped Haney four times en route to a majority decision win, however the result was overturned to a no contest due to Garcia’s positive tests and subsequent suspension.
The ban prevents Garcia from participating in professional boxing until April 20, 2025. Although only handed out by the NYSAC, such suspensions are commonly upheld by all U.S. commissions, and it is also likely that any reputable foreign commission would decline to license Garcia.
In what could be described as a loophole, an exhibition match is technically not a professional sporting contest, and therefore Garcia will be able to participate in the Dec. 30 event. The move will likely be frowned upon by the NYSAC, however, and it remains to be seen how it may affect his suspension.
Rematches with Gervonta Davis and Haney have been mentioned for Garcia after his suspension is complete, but the 26-year-old stated on his social media on Monday evening that he plans to pursue a fight against Jake Paul in early 2025 before his ban is lifted in order to avenge Paul’s win over Mike Tyson.
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