Ryan Garcia failed two drug tests before his fight with Devin Haney on April 20 in Brooklyn, New York, GAME reporting.
The 140-pound contender tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine, according to a letter from the Volunteer Anti-Doping Association obtained by ESPN.
Garcia was tested the day before and on the day of the fight, which Garcia won by majority decision. The outcome is not known until later.
The fighter must submit a request within 10 days if he wants his B sample tested.
ESPN also reported that he tested positive for the steroid 19-Norandrosterone, although that result has not been confirmed.
Garcia responded to this news in one way video posted to X.
“Everyone knows that I didn’t cheat,” he said. “…Never used steroids. … I don’t even know where to buy steroids. … I hardly take any supplements. Big lie, I beat his ass.”
Golden Boy, his promoter, said in a statement: “Ryan has made multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances – and we believe him. We are working with his team to determine how this finding emerged and will address it further once we have concluded that process.”
Haney sent a statement to ESPN.
“We became aware of this situation a while ago and it is unfortunate that Ryan has deceived and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and aggressively on more than one occasion but twice,” he said.
“… Ryan owes his fans an apology, and judging 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 do boxing.
“This puts the war in a completely different perspective. Even though I was at a disadvantage, I still fought on my shield and stood up! People die in this sport. This is no joke.”
It’s really not like that. Lucian Bute tested positive for Ostarine after a draw with Badou Jack in 2016 in Washington, DC, leading authorities to award Jack the win by disqualification. And Amir Khan received a two-year ban after testing positive for PEDs following his loss to Kell Brook in 2022 in the UK.
Garcia could lose the win, face fines and be suspended from competition if the New York State Athletic Commission agrees with VADA’s conclusion.
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) stunned the boxing world by knocking out previously undefeated Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) three times en route to a unanimous decision victory.
