Star boxer Ryan Garcia took performance-enhancing substances the day before and the day of his upset victory over Devin Haney last month, according to a letter from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association sent to officials on Wednesday and obtained by ESPN. Tested positive for ostarine.
A urine sample was taken before the game, but the results were not known until later.
Garcia has 10 days to request testing of the B sample. A sample of Mr. Garcia's girlfriend also tested positive for 19-norandrosterone, but its presence remains unconfirmed pending further laboratory analysis.
“Everyone knows I'm not cheating.” Garcia said in a video posted to X.. “I've never taken steroids. … I don't even know where to get steroids. … I hardly take any supplements. Big lie, I beat his ass. .”
Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions said in a statement that it is working with Garcia's team to “understand how this discovery occurred.”
“Ryan has made multiple statements denying that he knowingly used prohibited substances, and we believe him,” Golden Boy said in a statement.
Garcia, 25, floored Haney three times and won by majority decision, but the result is rarely overturned unless a B sample comes back negative.
Haney told ESPN: “I only recently learned of this situation, and the fact that Ryan tested positive after fighting dirty not once, but twice, has affected both the fans and the sport of boxing. It is unfortunate that we were deceived and disrespected,” he said in a statement to ESPN.
“…Ryan owes his fans an apology, but according to a recent tweet, he still thinks this is a joke. We put our lives on the line and make a living to entertain people.” You're not boxing. Now the fight begins.'' It was a completely different light. Despite the odds, I still fought and stood up. People die in this sport. This is no joke. ”
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) also dropped weight before the fight, weighing in at 143.2 pounds in preparation for the WBC 140-pound title fight. Garcia paid more than $600,000 for Haney (31-1, 15 KOs), who was unable to make weight. It also meant that Garcia was ineligible for a title shot, although he moved up to No. 2 in ESPN's junior welterweight rankings after the big upset.
Haney, who is based in Las Vegas, retained his title as junior welterweight champion despite the loss. He fell to No. 4 in ESPN's 140-pound rankings and lost his pound-for-pound rating after coming into the fight ranked No. 6 by ESPN.
“Safety, fairness and integrity are essential in professional athletic competition,” the New York State Athletic Commission said in a statement to ESPN. “The commission is in contact with VADA and is considering this matter.”
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator that binds to proteins in the body and effectively directs muscle growth. It is used by athletes to aid performance by increasing muscle mass, increasing fat loss rates, and improving stamina and recovery ability.
It has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list since 2008 and was listed as an anabolic agent by WADA in 2022.
Ostarine has been used in boxing before. Lucien Bute tested positive in 2016 after a draw with Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight title. The result turned into a DQ victory for Jack.
Amir Khan tested positive for Ostarine following his sixth-round TKO loss to Kell Brook in 2022 and was handed a two-year ban by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD).
According to ESPN BET, Haney was a -900 favorite to win but finished at -575 after Garcia made a weigh-in error. Haney, a former undisputed lightweight champion and skilled boxer, had not been knocked down once entering the fight, but Garcia delivered lightning strikes in the seventh, 10th, and 11th rounds. A left hook sent Haney to the canvas and snatched the victory.
The win was a career-changing performance for Garcia. Although Garcia has never won a world title, he has a huge social media presence with more than 12 million followers on Instagram. His only career loss was a seventh-round TKO against Gervonta Davis last April.
Haney defeated future Hall of Famer Vasily Lomachenko last May to retain his four 135-pound titles. He debuted at 140 pounds in December and won the WBC junior welterweight title with a shutout decision victory over Regis Prograis.