Boxer Ryan Garcia is at the center of another controversy after multiple reports indicated he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine before and on the day of his victory over Devin Haney in April at the Barclays Center.
The tests were carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association before the fight, but the results were not known until later, ESPN reported.
Garcia can request that his B sample be tested within 10 days, but the revelation of the test calls into question his majority decision victory over Haney.
Additionally, Garcia’s A sample tested positive for 19-norandrosterone, but this is not confirmed until further analysis is done, according to ESPN.
Garcia quickly took to social media to deny using banned substances, calling the claims “bullshit.”
“Everyone knows I don’t cheat,” Garcia said in a video he posted on X. “What can I say? Why didn’t they reveal this before the fight if they had found it before? Why would they let me get in the ring as a cheater and then get a win and then post this?
“Again, these are people trying to attack me for whatever reason, but no amount of weapons against me will succeed. I have never taken steroids in my life. I don’t even know where to find a steroid after all.
Garcia also called the accusation “big lies” and that he “beat his ass” when referring to Haney.
Ostarine is defined by the United States Anti-Doping Agency as the “brand name of a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that is not approved for human use or consumption in the United States or any other country “.
It helps build muscle mass and improve an athlete’s rate of fat loss.
Ostarine has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances since 2008 and was designated as an anabolic agent in 2022.
Garcia toppled Haney in his win April 20 in Brooklyn.
The fight was supposed to be for the WBC super lightweight title, but Garcia was three pounds overweight during weigh-ins before the fight.
“We learned of this situation not too long ago and it is unfortunate that Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and becoming positive not one, but twice,” Haney told ESPN in a statement.
“Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet, he still thinks it’s a joke. We put our lives on the line to entertain people and make 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 I got back up! People die in this sport.
New York Post
