Boxer Ryan Garcia Tested Positive For Performance-Enhancing Substance

After dropping his opponent, Devin Haney, three times in a fight last month and winning a majority decision, it was discovered that Ryan Garcia tested positive for a banned drug.

According to ESPN, Garcia not only tested positive for Ostarine, a performance-enhancing substance, a day before the boxing match, but he also tested positive the day of the fight as well. A letter from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association was sent to both fighters’ camps and all parties involved in the fight.

BREAKING: Per multiple sources with knowledge of the results, Ryan Garcia tested positive for the banned PED Ostarine in a VADA test related to the Haney fight. #boxing

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 2, 2024

Garcia positive tests per source with direct knowledge: Failed for Ostarine in 2 urine tests on April 19 & post-fight April 20. April 19 sample also (from VADA letter) “screened positive but was not confirmed for 19-Norandrosterone pending IRMS analysis currently being run.”

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 2, 2024

Ryan Garcia has 10 days to ask for B sample to be tested at his own expense. So, not only blows weight by 3.2 pounds he also apparently was dirty for a PED and possible two. #boxing

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 2, 2024

The 25-year-old boxer beat Haney on April 20 after knocking Haney off his feet three times during the fight. He won the contest by a majority decision (112-112, 114-110, and 115-109) and came into the 140-pound match overweight by 3.2 pounds, according to Yahoo! Sports.

“Everybody knows that I don’t cheat. Never taken a steroid. … I don’t even know where to get steroids. … I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat his a**.”

Garcia took to his social media account to dispute the test results and claimed this was “fake news.”

Fake news like if I was Donald trump pic.twitter.com/PVg5EW7yLd

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024

His opponent released a statement to ESPN chastising the boxer for cheating:

“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 said. “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.”

This was Haney’s first defeat (31-1), and due to Garcia (25-1) coming into the fight over the weight limit, he was ineligible to obtain the WBC title he was fighting for that was on the line.

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