WBC president expels Ryan Garcia, says "he is a good person who has severe problems ... and needs help badly'

Ryan Garcia was expelled Thursday from the World Boxing Council by its president, Mauricio Sulaiman, who said in a interview with KevinIole.com that he feels Garcia "is in serious danger of hurting himself, hurting others or being hurt by someone else who doesn't have his best interests at heart."

By being expelled from the WBC, Garcia can't be ranked by the organization, nor can he fight in any WBC-sanctioned bouts or participate in any activities the sanctioning body holds.

Not long after Sulaiman announced his decision on social media to expel Garcia, Garcia's parents issued a statement via social media urging their son to receive help.

On an audio call on social media on Thursday, Garcia used the n-word and also disparaged Muslims, continuing a pattern of behavior that goes back several months and has gotten increasingly bizarre as time has passed. He has received treatment for mental health issues in the past.

He acted bizarrely prior to his April 20 bout for the WBC super lightweight title fight against Devin Haney in Brooklyn, which Garcia won by majority decision. He badly missed weight for the bout and he failed an anti-doping examination, testing positive for Ostarine and ultimately getting suspended for a year by the New York State Athletic Commission. The outcome of the fight was changed to a no-contest.

After the fight, Garcia passed off his behavior as a troll job. He was arrested for vandalism in June in a Los Angeles hotel and made many outrageous statements. He went after boxers Caleb Plant and Claressa Shields, among many others, in posts that were vitriolic and had sexual innuendo.

His parents, Henry and Lisa Garcia, said in their post that they believe their son is not well.

"Our son has recently made statements that do not align with his, or our family’s, true character or beliefs," they wrote. "Our family unequivocally does not support any statements he has made regarding race or religion — these do not reflect who Ryan truly is and how he was raised. Those who know Ryan can attest to this fact. Ryan has been open about his ongoing struggle with mental health over the years and as a family we are committed to ensuring and encouraging that he receives the necessary help to navigate this very challenging time and address both his immediate and long-term well-being. We appreciate the continued support, prayers and compassion."

Sulaiman said he has long had a great relationship with Garcia and his family and he made a public offer via social media not to punish Garcia but to help him. 

Sulaiman's efforts to assist Garcia go back to late February, during a press tour to New York and Los Angeles to promote Garcia's April 20 bout with Haney. Sulaiman ended the first news conference, on Feb. 27 in New York, and said there was nothing wrong with Garcia's behavior. Sulaiman flew to Mexico City after that, but there was a press conference in Los Angeles on Feb. 29.

It was after that, Sulaiman said, that Garcia's behavior changed and became frightening. Sulaiman said he reached out to Garcia shortly after the Feb. 29 news conference and offered to have him examined by a mental health professional in Phoenix. Sulaiman said Garcia initially agreed, but then did not show and resisted any attempts to reschedule.

"It was after that Los Angeles press conference where all of these strange, even diabolical, postings were turning up on his [social media] accounts," Sulaiman told KevinIole.com. "There were things like he was going to be kidnapped and killed and stuffed in a plastic bag. There were so many bizarre things all of a sudden, and I know Ryan and that's not him.

"He is a good person who has severe problems. He's in deep trouble and he needs help badly."

Sulaiman said Garcia was drunk when he met him at the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin fight on June 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He said he knows Garcia has been having issues with alcohol and said he suspects it may be with other substances as well.

In a social media post on June 21, after the Davis-Martin fight, Sulaiman said that rather than punish Garcia for his many misdeeds, he would support him and get him help.

Sulaiman told KevinIole.com Thursday that he decided it was time to go public because Garcia's racial epithets crossed a line, and because he wanted to try to get Garcia the help he needs.

"As a human being and as a friend of Ryan Garcia's, I want to see him get well mentally, physically and with substances," Sulaiman said. "He is an addict. Maybe it's only alcohol; maybe there are other substances. Of that, I am not sure but I know he has a problem with alcohol. But it's most important that he get assistance for his mental health problems. He needs a serious examination, a diagnosis, therapy and medicine. We will help him with whatever he needs, but he needs to do this as soon as possible."