Ryan Garcia, the troubled boxer, recently traded his gloves for a microphone as he tried his hand at stand-up comedy. The move came after the 24-year-old was handed a one-year suspension from the sport following a positive test for ostarine.
Garcia’s comedy debut took place at the Laugh Factory on Saturday night, with controversial comedian Chris D’Elia introducing the young star to the stage. D’Elia told the crowd that Garcia was attempting stand-up for the first time in his life, warning them that “it’s not going to go the way you think it is.”
Rather than telling jokes, Garcia used his stage time to address his recent PED scandal. “I didn’t cheat, I didn’t do anything – just to be clear,” he told the audience, who responded with boos.
The boxer went on to explain that he had been “doing anything to try to save my life,” as boxing had been his only passion since the age of 7. “So they said that maybe I can be a stand-up comedian,” he added.
Midway through his set, Garcia decided to switch things up, opting to start shadowboxing on stage instead. “Worst (comes to) worst, I just start shadow boxing,” he said, as D’Elia remained on the stage “just in case s*** goes crazy.”
Garcia’s comedy debut comes after he recently reached a settlement with the New York State Athletic Commission over his failed tests. As part of the agreement, the former boxer will serve a one-year suspension, forfeit his $1.2 million contract purse, and pay a $10,000 fine, while his victory over Devin Haney will be officially changed to a no-contest.
