Ryan Garcia tested positive for a banned steroid before and after his recent fight with Devin Haney, according to a report.
Garcia, whose erratic and unusual behaviour before the fight was widely-documented, dropped the previously-unbeaten Haney on several occasions on his way to a points victory in New York on April 20.
However, an asterisk remains over the win courtesy of Garcia missing weight by 3.2lbs a day before their light-welterweight bout, which had been for Haney's WBC title.
With the victory, though, the 25-year-old re-established himself as one of the most entertaining fighters at the top of the sport ahead of attempting to find another super-fight, despite his lack of belt.
According to ESPN, it remains to be seen when Garcia will next be in the ring courtesy of a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) letter seen by the outlet on Wednesday.
The letter states the American tested positive for the drug ostarine on the day before and on the day of his upset victory over Haney.
. @MikeCoppinger reports that Ryan Garcia has tested positive for the Performance Enhancing Drug Ostarine the day before & also the day of his win over Devin Haney, per a VADA letter that was obtained by ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FpHFu5JrBx
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) May 2, 2024
How have Garcia, Haney reacted?
Garcia has since taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to stress his innocence, saying: "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 him."
In response, Haney reacted to ESPN: "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.
"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."
Garcia now has 10 days to request that the 'B' sample' be opened and tested.
What is ostarine?
Ostarine is a banned steroid that is used to stimulate muscle growth. Furthermore, it has the ability to reduce fat loss, as well as increase stamina and recovery.
The most recent notable case regarding ostarine involved Amir Khan, who tested positive for the drug after his defeat to Kell Brook in 2022. Although he subsequently retired, Khan was handed a two-year ban by UK Anti-Doping.
Darren Plant
