Ryan Garcia has opened up about the tumultuous period in his life that led to his unexpected defeat against Rolly Romero. Now, with renewed determination, he claims he is on the path to becoming “unstoppable” as he prepares for his anticipated bout with Mario Barrios.

Reflecting on his state during the Romero fight, the 26-year-old boxing star confesses he was physically drained, emotionally unsteady, and mentally disengaged. He describes how a year marked by self-destructive behavior left him struggling to maintain his training regimen and led him into a downward spiral that included jail time and a stint in a mental health facility.

“The issue wasn’t motivation,” Garcia explained in an interview with Covers.com. “It was that my body felt exhausted from even the smallest efforts. Sparring was off the table, and I was weak—everything seemed destined to go wrong.”

Garcia admits to a period of heavy drinking and harboring anger towards the world, including fans and the boxing commission. “I felt cheated, like I was wronged. I’ve never used steroids or Ostarine, yet I was consumed by a rebellious attitude that wore me down physically,” he stated.

When preparing for the Romero match, Garcia was barely functional. “In training camp, I couldn’t train more than two days a week before feeling utterly drained. It was clear something was amiss,” he recalled.

Ryan Garcia has opened up on the implosion that led to his shocking loss to Rolly Romero and the revival he insists will make him ‘unstoppable’ when he supposedly faces Mario Barrios next

Garcia (L) and Romero (R) facing off in Times Square on May 01, 2025 in New York City

His mental health was in an even more precarious state. “I ended up in jail, destroyed a hotel room, and spent three days in a mental health facility. I even wrecked my house. Looking back, it’s unbelievable that I fought under those circumstances,” he admitted.

Garcia insists Romero didn’t beat ‘the real’ him.

‘Imagine me not even trying, and this dude couldn’t even knock me out,’ he said. ‘I was just moving around the ring… the fact that I’m not throwing punches and you can’t do anything? It’s not like you beat me in my heart. They have every right to be happy, but he knows the deal and I’m going to get that back.’

He says his hand injury played a role but wasn’t the main cause of his performance, which saw him lose to Romero after looking sluggish and a shadow of his former self.

‘My hand feels ten times better now… but it was mainly where I was at, and how I wasn’t even there.’

Now sober, stabilised and training daily, Garcia claims he has rebuilt himself from the inside out – literally. ‘I fixed my gut health… I had a bacterial infection in my stomach I had no clue about. I took medicine, and kept training every day, and everything started clearing up.’

He credits a neighbour, Jeff, with dragging him out of the abyss. ‘My neighbour would show up to my doorstep and take me to the gym every day… One day, I just snapped out of it. Everything became more clear, and I was hungry again.’

Garcia says he is now ‘more in shape and mentally clear’ than at any point before the Romero fight. ‘I’m way more aggressive, way more sharp… now when I think about these fights, I see me winning.’

Garcia (right) pictured fighting Devin Haney (left) in New York on April 21, 2024

He has also committed to complete sobriety. ‘I have a very fast brain… if I have a drink, we’re gonna have a night, and that takes away three or four days. It puts me backwards. I’ve committed myself to being sober. If I’m at my best, I don’t think any man can ever feel safe in the ring with me.’

Garcia even turned down a blockbuster crossover clash with Jake Paul – leading the YouTuber-turned-boxer to Anthony Joshua, who he will take on in Miami on December 19.

‘I had $20million (£15m) offered. I went with Barrios for less,’ he revealed. ‘That’s a stupid matchup for me. He’s 220 pounds, for damn’s sake… How am I going to knock out a 220-pound dude?’

He didn’t rule out a future mega-payday though, but only if Paul dangled the $70m (£52m) he is supposedly giving AJ.

‘I’d definitely consider it. I’d be stupid if I didn’t… but sometimes money is not everything. I live a great life. What’s the point? I get more money then what – a bigger house? More cars? What does that mean?’

For now, Garcia’s eyes are locked on Barrios and a future rematch with Romero.

‘I’m hungry to beat Barrios and then get Rolly back. I’m going to beat Barrios, hopefully unify, and then I definitely want to get that 100 per cent back.’