The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has handed Ryan Garcia a one-year suspension following his positive tests for the banned substance ostarine before his April 20 fight against Devin Haney. The NYSAC has also overturned Garcia’s victory over Haney, ruling it a no contest, and has mandated the return of Garcia’s guaranteed purse money. Additionally, Garcia faces a $10,000 fine.
Despite Garcia’s assertion that he did not knowingly consume performance-enhancing drugs, tests conducted on both the day of the fight and the previous day showed positive results for ostarine. His “B” samples confirmed these findings. Haney, the WBC 140-pound titleholder, has voiced his doubts, citing the unusual power behind Garcia’s punches during their bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Following the ruling, Haney’s record has been reinstated to 31-0. However, the consequences of the match have continued to affect the Las Vegas fighter. Despite earning an eight-figure purse from the Garcia fight, Haney discovered this week that the purse bid for his mandatory title defense against Sandor Martin received only a single bid from Top Rank, resulting in a substantial pay cut to just over $1.6 million.
Garcia’s suspension, effective from April 20, entails random drug testing by a world anti-doping agency accredited lab in Salt Lake City. He is also required to return $1.2 million in guaranteed purse money to Golden Boy Promotions, with Haney expected to receive an undisclosed portion of that sum.
Reacting to the suspension, Garcia reiterated his retirement on social media, maintaining his innocence and promising to reveal the sport’s underlying issues. Haney expressed gratitude towards the NYSAC for their decision and announced a one-year break from boxing, stating he will return and compete at any weight class he chooses.
Meanwhile, Garcia’s legal team continues to argue that he was a victim of substance contamination…
Do you agree with such a decision? Or Garcia was framed by Haney and others?
Previously Ryan Garcia retired from boxing, read about it here.
Image Credit: Al Bello via Getty Images