Ryan Garcia has been suspended for one year and fined after testing positive for banned substances, resulting in his win over Devin Haney being overturned, while he and his team claim the positive test was due to contaminated supplements.
Ryan Garcia won’t be stepping into the ring anytime soon, even if he wants to. Boxing reporter Dan Rafael broke the news Thursday.
Garcia faces a minimum one-year suspension from competition. This comes as part of a settlement with the New York State Athletic Commission.
He tested positive for banned substances following an April 20 bout against Devin Haney. As a result, Garcia forfeits his official contract purse to Golden Boy Promotions.
The purse totals $1.1 million, and he must also pay a state fine of $10,000. Perhaps worst of all for Garcia, his dramatic majority decision win over Haney has been overturned to a no-contest.
Haney’s undefeated record is restored to 31-0. Meanwhile, Garcia’s record reverts back to 24-1.
The report comes just a day after Garcia announced his retirement on social media. This announcement followed months of erratic behavior from the 25-year-old boxer.
Garcia tweeted several outlandish claims on his social media accounts. He even showed up to the Haney fight three pounds over the limit.
This weight issue forced him to pay Haney a $600,000 penalty. It also made him ineligible to win Haney’s WBC super lightweight title.
Despite these issues, Garcia impressed in the contest. He knocked Haney down three times en route to a win on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
A win that has now been scratched from the record books. Haney reacted to the news on Twitter, thanking the commission for their decision but questioning why Golden Boy receives the fight purse.
“Thank you too the commission for doing the right thing & making the right decision,” Haney tweeted. “I don’t understand how Golden Boy is getting any money as if they took any punches.”
On the other side, Garcia’s team issued a statement denying that he knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. They claim Ryan was a victim of substance contamination.
The levels measured were in the billions and trillions of a gram, providing no advantage in the ring. Ryan maintains his truth: he never intentionally took any banned substance.
For years, Ryan has voluntarily submitted to random testing during out-of-competition periods without issues. He has maintained an impeccable and clean record throughout his career.
His performance against Haney will always be remembered as a masterclass by fans. That memory will never be erased despite official records.
Ryan will continue to elevate boxing and advocate for reform in the sport. His team hopes future changes will address issues like this one.
They thanked fans who have supported Ryan through both great moments and difficult times. Ryan vows to return better than ever once his suspension is over.
Garcia himself took to Twitter, maintaining that he never cheated and teasing a move to UFC. “They took my victory away,” he tweeted.
“It’s okay I’m retired I’ll come back ina year,” he added in another tweet. In yet another tweet, he expressed frustration: “Nothing that was in my system was enough for any!!!!!!!”
“This is why I’m done with the game,” he continued passionately. “I never F’ing cheated.”
He ended with an expletive-laden message: “F YOU.” Finally, Garcia hinted at his next move: “I’m headed to the UFC.”
“For real Dana White hit me up,” he tweeted directly at UFC President Dana White.