Drug test result throws Ryan Garcia vs Devin Haney result into doubt | Boxing | Sport
Ryan Garcia has reportedly tested positive for banned substances on the heels of his upset win over Devin Haney. According to boxing writer Dan Rafael, the 25-year-old’s Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) test came back with traces of the PED Ostarine.
Garcia allegedly tested positive for Ostarine in two separate tests – one on April 19 and another following the fight on April 20, per an inside source who claimed to have direct access to the results.
A letter from VADA reportedly additionally stated he “screened positive but was not confirmed for 19-Norandrosterone pending IRMS analysis currently being run.” Should Garcia try and formally refute the claims, he will have 10 days to ask for a B sample to be tested on his own accord.
Taking to social media Wednesday night, Garcia swiftly refuted the cheating allegations. The outspoken boxer shared a photo of a medicine bottle with the label “Ashwagandha Root” – a product used to relieve stress – alongside the caption: “My bad I shouldn’t have took this.” He additionally claimed to have never taken steroids in his life, insisting: “I don’t even know how to get steroids, I don’t even know what it looks like.”
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“Why didn’t they come out with this before the fight … why would they let me step into the ring as a cheater and then come out with a victory?” Garcia asked in a separate clip posted to X. “Again, these are people that are trying to attack me for whatever reason, but no weapon against me shall prosper. I don’t even know where to get steroids at the end of the day, I barely take supplements.”
News of Garcia’s positive test caught the attention of Bill Haney, Devin’s father and boxing trainer. Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, he expressed his disgust with the reported positive PED results, exclaiming: “You trying to hurt my baby. We played it fair.
“We didn’t do it like that. F*** boxing, this is some b*******. I came from the streets,” Bill continued. “You scared of Devin on a level playing field. I feel f**** up over this. If you can brag about doing it, you shouldn’t be on drugs.”
Garcia’s victory over Haney was already clouded in controversy after he failed to make the 140-pound fight limit, missing weight by 3.2 pounds. The California native was subsequently barred from securing the WBC super-lightweight title, even after winning the bout.
Despite the many questions now surrounding Garcia’s win, he asserted that he’d not step into the ring with Haney again, writing on X: “Nah I ain’t going to rematch him. I beat him easy, fair and square. I’d be damned if I rematch him.”
After earning $50 million from the majority decision win, Garcia speculated that the large sum of money he received could be the reason why some are alleging he cheated. “The odd makers heated. Took down the house. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,” he added.
