Star boxer Ryan Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine the day before and the day of his surprise victory over Devin Haney last month, according to a letter from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association sent to all parties Wednesday and obtained by ESPN.
The urine samples were taken before the fight, but the results were not known until later.
Garcia has 10 days to request that his B sample be tested. Garcia’s A sample also tested positive for 19-norandrosterone, but its presence is not confirmed until further laboratory analysis.
“Everyone knows I don’t cheat” Garcia said in a video posted on X. “I’ve never taken steroids. … I don’t even know where to get steroids. … I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat his ass.”
Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions said in a statement that it was working with Garcia’s team to “determine how this discovery was made.”
“Ryan has released multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances – and we believe him,” Golden Boy said in its statement.
Garcia, 25, beat Haney three times and won by majority decision, but that result now risks being overturned unless the B sample returns negative, which is rare.
“We learned of this situation not long ago and it is unfortunate that Ryan deceived and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and becoming positive not one, but twice,” Haney said in a statement to ESPN.
“…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 with my shield and got back up.
Garcia (25-1, 20 KO) also missed weight before the fight, checking in at 143.2 pounds for the WBC 140-pound title fight. Garcia paid Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) more than $600,000 for his failure to make weight. This also meant that Garcia was ineligible to win the title, although he rose to No. 2 in ESPN’s junior welterweight rankings after this major upset.
Haney, who fights in Las Vegas, remained the junior welterweight champion even in defeat. He fell to No. 4 in ESPN’s 140-pound rankings and lost pound-for-pound recognition after being ranked No. 6 by ESPN before the fight.
“Safety, fairness and integrity in professional sports competitions are essential,” the New York State Athletic Commission said in a statement to ESPN. “The Commission is in communication with VADA and is looking into the matter.”
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator that binds to proteins in the body and effectively signals muscle growth. It is used to enhance performance by helping athletes build muscle mass and improve their rate of fat loss, as well as increase their endurance and recovery capacity.
It has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list since 2008 and was listed in 2022 as an anabolic agent by WADA.
Ostarine has already been used in boxing. Lucian Bute tested positive in 2016 after a draw with Badou Jack in their WBC super middleweight title fight. The result was changed to a DQ victory for Jack.
Amir Khan was handed a two-year ban by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) after testing positive for ostarine following his sixth-round TKO loss to Kell Brook in 2022.
Haney was a -900 favorite, according to ESPN BET, but he closed at -575 after Garcia missed weight. Haney, the former undisputed lightweight champion, had never been knocked down entering the fight, but Garcia dropped him to the canvas in rounds 7, 10 and 11 with his lightning-fast left hook to earn the victory .
The victory was career-changing for Garcia, who has never won a world title but enjoys a massive social media presence with more than 12 million followers on Instagram. His only career loss came via seventh-round TKO to Gervonta Davis last April.
Haney defeated future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko last May to retain his four 135-pound titles. He made his debut at 140 pounds in December with a shutout victory over Regis Prograis to win the WBC junior welterweight title.
