Golden Boy boxer and tremendous light-weight star Ryan Garcia is amid a ‘spiraling freefall’ resulting from his overexposure to social media.
That’s in line with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, who addressed the state of affairs in one among his latest columns.
Sulaiman, who has at all times been cautious about platforms like Twitter and Instagram, says Garcia has reached a essential level in his life following latest outbursts. Garcia has been unable to wean himself away from Twitter regardless of a number of meltdowns over latest weeks, and fan response has worsened as his views change into extra controversial.
Considered one of his newest interactions on race and faith prompted some to retaliate and led to Garcia’s ejection from a ringside place for his brother Sean’s struggle. Sulaiman believes as quick as social media helped Garcia change into a star, it’s seemingly now tearing him down.
“Simply as it might probably transport you to the highest, it might probably additionally destroy you: It’s social media: Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, Fb, and plenty of others,” mentioned Sulaiman. “What’s revealed there stays for eternity, as there is no such thing as a turning again. The feedback and responses don’t have any filter and are sometimes cloaked in anonymity in a cowardly back-stabbing method. The feedback change into extremely offensive, biased, obnoxious, wound, and savage. There may be harassment and a scientific, unrelenting bullying assault.
“If a boxer doesn’t know work together on networks, they need to keep effectively away from them. The assaults are rising. These focused do every thing to fight them and to show issues that don’t want verification or justification as a result of they’re false, and campaigns are solely carried out to pierce and hurt psychological well being.
“Sadly, we reside in a world the place the variety of followers measures the worth and likes one has on social networks.”
On Garcia’s ongoing issues, Sulaiman added, “Ryan García turned widespread by having hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Social media has additionally led him to a essential level and plight.
“It’s identified that Ryan has struggled with psychological well being points for a few years. These issues have even led him to depart boxing on a few events. At present, he’s spiraling into freefall, and he wants to simply accept the assistance that individuals who love him can provide.
“Julio César Chávez, the nice Mexican champion, seeks to help him as a result of he lived by, suffered, and endured hell for a few years, overcoming this. It proves that an individual may be cured. All of us undergo from psychological well being issues. It’s a silent, stealthy illness that has many variants: anxiousness, melancholy, lowered shallowness, paranoia, and plenty of different modalities, starting from quite simple and manageable to ranges bordering on suicide.”
Garcia seemingly didn’t heed Chavez’s warning, as days later, he continued his relentless actions. He does look to be slowing down slightly, although, which it’s hoped may flip into an extended break.
With out boxing resulting from being suspended for one 12 months over drug testing failures, Garcia has discovered it tough to manage with out the game he loves.
Learn all articles and unique interviews by Phil Jay. Be taught extra concerning the creator, skilled boxing author, and World Boxing Information Editor since 2010. Comply with on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
