ESPN obtained a letter from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association that stated star boxer Ryan Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance ostarine the day before and the day of his unexpected victory over Devin Haney last month. The letter was sent to all parties on Wednesday.
Although urine samples were obtained before the combat, the outcomes remained undisclosed until much later.
Garcia may request the testing of his B-sample within ten days. Although Garcia’s A-sample tested positive for 19-norandrosterone, the presence of this hormone cannot be confirmed without additional laboratory analysis.
“I assure you that no one is fooled,” Garcia stated in an X-hosted video. “Has never used a steroid… I have no idea where to acquire steroids… I consume supplements infrequently. “He told ludicrous tales; I beat his behind.”
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Golden Boy Promotions, which is owned by Oscar De La Hoya, issued the following statement: “We are collaborating with Garcia’s team to ascertain the sources of this discovery.”
Golden Boy said in a statement, “Ryan has issued multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances, and we believe him.”
Haney was defeated three times by Garcia, 25, who secured the victory by majority decision. However, that outcome is now subject to reversal unless the B-sample yields a negative result, which is uncommon.
“We learned about this situation not too long ago and it’s unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and breaking positive not once, but twice,” Haney stated in a statement issued to ESPN.
“… Ryan owes an apology to his supporters, and his most recent tweet indicates he continues to consider this a joke. We risk our lives in order to provide entertainment for a livelihood. You are not a boxer. Such an altercation entirely transforms the battle. Even though I was at a disadvantage, I continued to fight on my shield and recovered! Fatalities occur in this sport. “This subject is not for jest.”
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Additionally, Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) failed to meet the weight limit for the WBC 140-pound championship bout, weighing in at 143.2 pounds instead. Over $600,000 was paid to Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) by Garcia due to his inability to meet the weight limit. It also rendered Garcia ineligible to claim the title, although the major upset propelled him to No. 2 in ESPN’s junior welterweight rankings.
Despite losing, Haney, who competes out of Las Vegas, maintained his title as the junior welterweight champion. He lost his pound-for-pound recognition and dropped to No. 4 in ESPN’s 140-pound rankings, having been ranked No. 6 prior to the fight.
“In professional athletic competition, safety, fairness, and integrity are of the utmost importance,” the New York State Athletic Commission told ESPN in a statement. “The Commission is in communication with VADA and is reviewing the matter.”
Ostarine functions as a selective androgen receptor modulator by binding to proteins within the organism, thereby commanding muscles to proliferate. It is utilised to improve athletic performance by facilitating muscle growth and fat reduction, as well as by enhancing stamina and recovery capacity.
It has been on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2008, and was classified as an anabolic agent by the WADA in 2022.
Ostarine has previously been utilised in boxing. In 2016, Lucian Bute tested positive for the substance subsequent to a draw in his WBC super middleweight championship bout against Badou Jack. The outcome was modified to reflect Jack’s DQ victory.
Amir Khan was subjected to a two-year suspension by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) subsequent to his sixth-round technical knockout defeat to Kell Brook in 2022, wherein he tested positive for ostarine.
According to ESPN BET, Haney was a -900 favourite, but he closed at -575 after Garcia failed to meet the weight limit. Garcia won by knocking down the slick-boxing Haney, the former undisputed lightweight champion, with his lightning-fast left hook in Rounds 7, 10, and 11. Prior to the bout, Haney had never been knocked down.
Garcia’s triumph was a turning point in his career; he had never before won a global title but has amassed an enormous social media following with over 12 million Instagram followers. Last April, he suffered his sole career loss via seventh-round TKO at the hands of Gervonta Davis.
Haney retained his four 135-pound titles by defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko, a future Hall of Famer, in May of last year. In December, he won the WBC junior welterweight title with a shutout decision over Regis Prograis in his debut at 140 pounds.
ESPN was the publication that published the original article.
