Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney | Photo: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy
American boxer Ryan Garcia (24-1) has been caught using doping after his victory over WBC champion Devin Haynie (31-1), reports ESPN, referring to the letter sent by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) to the parties involved.
Garcia’s body was found to contain ostarine, a substance used to increase muscle growth and strength. Ostarin has been on the list of prohibited substances since 2008. ESPN reports that Garcia tested positive for doping both the day before and the day of the fight against Haynie.
Garcia now has 10 days to request doping tests on the B sample, but according to ESPN, B samples rarely differ from the results of the original tests. It should be mentioned that in 2022, British boxer Amir Khan received a two-year suspension for using ostarine. “Everyone knows I don’t cheat. I’ve never used steroids, I don’t even know where to get them. I even use supplements very rarely. This is all a big lie, I to him [Heinijam] just kicked my ass,” García himself commented on the situation in his statement on the “X” website.
It has already been announced that on April 21, Garcia won one of the most surprising boxing victories of recent times, convincingly defeating the current WBC lightweight belt holder Haynie.
The 25-year-old Garcia is one of the most popular boxers in the world, but before the duel with Haynie there were questions about whether the fight should even happen. Garcia, who self-disclosed that he had struggled with mental health issues a couple of years ago, had made a number of strange and difficult-to-explain posts on social media in recent months that suggested the boxer might need medical attention.
In addition, Garcia missed the pre-fight weight limit of 140 pounds, weighing 3.2 pounds, 1.4 kilograms, which would have put him out of contention for the WBC title should he win. Garcia also had to fulfill the clause included in the fight contract and pay Haney $500,000 for every extra pound (450g). At the weigh-in procedure, Garcia stood out once again, stepping on the scale while drinking beer. After the fight, however, Garcia revealed that his mental health issues were some sort of marketing ploy.
From health concerns to sensational victory, Garcia defeats Haynie
