Boxer Garcia denies using banned drugs
NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Garcia denied using performance-enhancing drugs in a video posted on social media Wednesday night, May 1, after ESPN reported that he had tested positive for a banned substance. Garcia defeated Devin Haney, a former amateur rival, by majority decision on April 20 in New York. Garcia knocked Haney down three times and handed the WBC super lightweight champion his first loss but did not win the title because he was over the weight limit. “Everybody knows that I don’t cheat,” Garcia said in a video posted on X. “Never taken a steroid ... I don’t even know where to get steroids . ... I barely take supplements. Big lies.”
ESPN reported that the 25-yearold Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine the day before and the day of the fight, citing a Voluntary Anti-doping Association letter. Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator, and its use can stimulate muscle growth. The drug is banned by the World Anti-doping Agency. The samples were taken before the fight, but the results weren’t known until later, ESPN reported.
Garcia’s victory could be overturned if the positive drug test is confirmed.
Garcia's odd actions in public and on social media throughout the buildup led to questions about how serious he was about this fight. It sure seemed as though he didn't devote enough time for training when he was more than 3 pounds above the 140-pound limit.
But the speed and power in his hands was too much for Haney, who was hurt right from the opening round and went down in the seventh, 10th and 11th.
The 25-year-olds from California split six fights as amateurs, but Haney had the stronger pro career, winning the undisputed lightweight title and then moving up to win the WBC belt in his first fight at 140 pounds.