On April 20, 2023, Ryan Garcia defeated Devin Haney by majority decision, knocking Haney down three times. However, Garcia’s victory came with an asterisk because he weighed in heavier than the required limit before the fight.
Note: Ryan Garcia was fined $400,000 for exceeding the weight limit before his fight with Devin Haney.
This fine was paid to Haney as compensation, and Garcia’s chance to compete for the WBC lightweight title was taken away. However, things worsened for Garcia when a second positive doping test emerged before the fight, causing his troubles to escalate.
On Thursday, it was revealed that Garcia’s B-sample also tested positive for ostarine, a banned substance. This news came after the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) reported that Garcia failed a pre-fight test. VADA had tested Garcia twice—both before and after the Haney fight.
Garcia initially reacted to the news by posting on social media, saying, “I LOVE STEROIDS,” but he quickly deleted the post. He later followed up with another post, simply stating, “No, baby.”
In a statement on Thursday, Garcia’s lawyers emphasized that he had not knowingly used any banned substances.
“Ryan Garcia is committed to clean and fair competition and has never knowingly used a banned substance,” they wrote.
Garcia’s legal team elaborated: Upon learning of the positive test result, Garcia provided hair samples, which were sent to Dr. Pascal Kintz, a leading expert in toxicology and hair analysis. The results came back negative, suggesting that the positive test could have been caused by contamination in one of the supplements Garcia was taking, which would not have provided any performance-enhancing benefits. Throughout his career, Garcia has voluntarily undergone numerous tests, all of which returned negative results, including several tests before the Haney fight. These facts, combined with the microscopic quantities of ostarine found in the samples taken on April 19 and April 20 (at parts per billion), indicate that the small amounts in Garcia’s system could not have offered any performance-enhancing advantage. The team is now testing the supplements to identify the source of contamination.
Veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported on May 1 that Garcia had failed his ostarine test. Rafael mentioned that Garcia tested positive on April 19, a day before the fight, and again on April 20, in a post-fight assessment. ESPN later confirmed this, reporting that they had obtained a letter from VADA verifying the situation.
Following a post that read “😭😭😭 lol,” Garcia briefly went live on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
You can see fake news everywhere! Fake damn news.
Don’t believe these idiots. I’ve never taken a damn steroid in my life. I don’t even know what that stuff is, it’s the weirdest thing.
They supposedly had it, but they only announce it after I win? Makes no sense. I was tested on fight day, and nothing came up… Someone’s paying someone off.
Garcia previously mentioned that he had been cleared of a potential positive test for the Norandrosterone metabolite. However, two positive ostarine tests could severely impact his career. The situation could result in Garcia being disqualified from the fight, fined, or having the result changed to a no contest. Haney’s team filed a complaint with the New York State Athletic Commission, requesting that Garcia be disqualified and that the fight result be overturned in favor of Haney.
Garcia’s bizarre social media behavior in the lead-up to the fight also drew attention, as he made strange claims about aliens and admitted to regular alcohol consumption. After the fight, he claimed these actions were part of a “troll” plan, but the positive doping test results derailed this plan, leading to the fight’s outcome being declared no contest.
As a result, the match was ruled invalid, and Devin Haney remained undefeated.
Effects of Banned Substances:
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) used to enhance muscle growth and endurance. The use of banned substances disrupts fair competition, giving athletes an unfair advantage. Doping goes against the ethical values of sports and can have severe consequences.
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