Devin Haney Reacts to Ryan Garcia Testing Positive for Banned Substance

Devin Haney expressed his disappointment and frustration after learning that Ryan Garcia tested positive for ostarine in tests conducted before and on the day of their recent fight. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) revealed the positive test results in a letter to the involved parties, obtained by ESPN.

Haney was vocal about the issue, stating, “Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet, he still thinks this is a joke. We put our lives on the line to entertain people for a living. You don’t play boxing. This puts the fight in a completely different light. Despite the disadvantage, I still fought on my shield and got back up! People die in this sport. This isn’t a joking matter.”

Despite the samples being collected before the fight, the test results were only disclosed afterward. Garcia has 10 days to request a test of his B-sample, which rarely comes back negative once an A-sample tests positive. The A-sample also indicated the presence of 19-norandrosterone, but further lab analysis is needed to confirm this.

In response to the allegations, Garcia firmly denied the use of any banned substances, declaring in a video posted on X, “Everybody knows that I don’t cheat. Never taken a steroid. … I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat his ass.”

Golden Boy Promotions, led by Oscar De La Hoya, is investigating the matter with Garcia’s team to understand how this occurred. The promotion stood by Garcia, emphasizing that he denied knowingly using any banned substances.

Garcia floored Haney three times to secure a majority decision, but the victory might be overturned if the B-sample confirms the A-sample’s findings.

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) also missed weight for the WBC 140-pound title fight, registering 143.2 pounds. This made him ineligible to win the title and resulted in him paying Haney $600,000 in compensation. Despite this, Garcia moved to No. 2 in ESPN’s junior welterweight rankings.

Haney retained his junior welterweight championship despite losing the fight, but his ranking fell to No. 4 in ESPN’s 140-pound division, and he lost his pound-for-pound status.

The New York State Athletic Commission is working closely with VADA to investigate further, emphasizing the importance of integrity in sports. Ostarine, banned since 2008, enhances muscle growth and stamina and has been involved in previous doping cases within the boxing world.

Despite Haney’s pre-fight status as the favorite, Garcia’s left hook caused three knockdowns that delivered the unexpected win.