Ryan Garcia

Devin Haney isn't seeking a rematch with Ryan Garcia in the wake of the Flash's failed drug test for an illegal performance-enhancing drug prior to their April 22 bout.

Appearing on SportsCenter (starts at 2:15 mark), Haney said he doesn't envision a rematch with Garcia because of how "dangerous" it is to step in the ring with a fighter who is potentially doping.

In a letter sent to all parties involved from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association that was obtained by ESPN's Mike Coppinger, Garcia tested positive for ostarine in tests conducted the day before and day of the bout.

Garcia can request to have a B-sample tested within 10 days of being informed of the initial positive result. If the B-sample also returns a positive test, his victory would be overturned to a no-contest.

Golden Boy Promotions, Garcia's promoter, issued a statement on Thursday offering support to the fighter.

"Ryan has put out multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances— and we believe him," the statement read. "We are working with his team to determine how this finding came to be and will address this further once we conclude that process."

Haney also issued a statement about the situation to ESPN that was also posted to his Instagram page:

"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 and breaking positive not once, but twice.

"I've always been an advocate for clean fighting and this is an example of such. 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. We don't play boxing. This puts the fight in a completely different light. Despite the disadvantage, I still fought on my shield and got back up.

"People die in this sport. This is not a joking matter."

Coppinger noted ostarine is a performance-enhancer that works by "helping athletes build muscle mass and enhance their rate of fat loss and also to increase stamina and recovery ability."

Haney was a heavy favorite going into the bout with a 31-0 career record. Garcia missed the 140-pound weight limit by 3.2 pounds during the official weigh-in, but the fight was allowed to continue after he agreed to an amended deal to forfeit $600,000 of his purse.

Garcia wasn't eligible to win the WBC junior welterweight title. He scored a surprise victory by majority decision after knocking down Haney three different times.

After boxer Ryan Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance ostarine ahead of his upset win over Devin Haney, Conor McGregor gave his thoughts on the situation on social media.

McGregor said that he believes Garcia should receive a lifetime ban for using performance-enhancing drugs.

"Cheated the weight and was juiced, lifetime ban," McGregor wrote in a post on X. "Sad to see, sad to say. Sad and a bit sick. Don't come near me if I see you ever Ryan Garcia. I am actually disgusted."

While Garcia's urine samples were collected before the fight last month, the results weren't known until later. He tested positive for ostarine the day before and the day of the fight, which he won via a majority decision.

After his tests were revealed, Garcia posted a video on X defending himself.

"Everybody knows that I don't cheat," Garcia said in the video. "Never taken a steroid. ... I don't even know where to get steroids. ... I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat his ass."

While Garcia has a 25-1 professional boxing record, he has never won a world title. The 25-year-old was not eligible to claim the world super lightweight title in last month's fight because he did not meet the 140-pound weight needed to do so. Garcia weighed in at 143.2 pounds ahead of the fight.

In a statement to ESPN, Haney responded to Garcia's positive tests, saying that it's "unfortunate" he used performance-enhancing drugs and he "owes the fans an apology."

"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 and breaking positive not once, but twice," Haney said. "...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. You don't play boxing. This puts the fight in a completely different light. Despite the disadvantage, I still fought on my shield and got back up! People die in this sport. This isn't a joking matter."

It's unclear at this point what kind of repercussions Garcia will face, but McGregor believes he shouldn't be able to fight in the WBC.

Gervonta Davis sent a stern message to Ryan Garcia in the wake of The Flash testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug leading up to his April 20 bout against Devin Haney.

Michael Benson of talkSPORT posted a screenshot Davis' DM to Garcia in which he threatened to "beat tf outta you" if Garcia's drug test is confirmed to be positive for an illegal PED.

‼️ Gervonta Davis posting his DMs with Ryan Garcia about his positive drugs tests today… pic.twitter.com/T9KGxZAsPr

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 2, 2024

ESPN's Mike Coppinger obtained a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter sent to all parties involved that stated Garcia tested positive for ostarine the day before and day of the fight with Haney.

Davis, who has a longstanding feud with Haney, has been defending Garcia and taking digs at The Dream since news of the failed PED test came out.

https://twitter.com/Gervontaa/status/1786074605255581944

W the same punch over and over again..didn’t make no adjustments https://t.co/3KQRKZ6lK4

— Gervonta Davis (@Gervontaa) May 2, 2024

In a video posted on X, Garcia said he "don't even know where to get steroids" and "barely take supplements."

Golden Boy Promotions, Garcia's promoter, issued a statement about the positive test: "Ryan has put out multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances—and we believe him. We are working with his team to determine how this finding came to be and will address this further once we conclude that process."

There was controversy leading up to the fight because Garcia weighed in 3.2 pounds above the 140-pound limit. The weigh-in cost Garcia $1.5 million since he made a bet to pay Haney $500,000 for every pound he was over if he missed weight, according to Haney.

Ryan honored the 500k per pound..

— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) April 19, 2024

Garcia missing weight also meant he wasn't eligible to win the WBC junior welterweight title if he defeated Haney.

Despite being a heavy underdog going into the bout, Garcia scored knockdowns in Rounds 7, 10 and 11 en route to a majority-decision win. It was the first career loss for Haney in 32 professional bouts.

Coppinger noted Garcia's camp has 10 days to request his B-sample be tested. If the B-sample doesn't go in Garcia's favor, the result of the bout will be overturned to a no-contest.

In the wake of Ryan Garcia's positive test for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine, his rival Devin Haney released a statement addressing the situation.

Haney, who suffered the first loss of his career to Garcia by majority decision after being knocked down three times during their April 20 match, made his displeasure clear by writing, "People die in this sport. This isn't a joking matter."

Statement from Devin Haney to ESPN following Ryan Garcia’s positive A-sample test for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine: pic.twitter.com/IiNGQQZs1v

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 2, 2024

Per ESPN's Mike Coppinger, a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter that was sent to all parties on Wednesday revealed that the first of two samples collected from Garcia on the day before the fight came up positive for the banned substance. Garcia has 10 days to request that his B-sample be tested.

While Haney doesn't see this situation as a laughing matter, Garcia posted a series of tweets after news broke of his positive test that indicated that he's not taking it seriously.

"Everybody knows that I don't cheat," Garcia said in a social media video. "Never taken a steroid. ... I don't even know where to get steroids. ... I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat his ass."

Fake news like if I was Donald trump pic.twitter.com/PVg5EW7yLd

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024

In addition to his positive drug sample, Garcia also weighed in 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound limit. Not only did he have to fork over $1.5 million as part of a bet as well as $600,000 of his fight purse to Haney, but he was ineligible to win Haney's WBC super lightweight title.

Garcia put on arguably the best performance of his career, completely outclassing Haney from the opening bell. The win was expected to set up an eventual rematch for Haney's title if Garcia could make the weight, but it appears that won't be on the table after Garcia's positive test.

Ryan Garcia responded Wednesday to reports that he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug on April 20 before his majority decision win over Devin Haney.

"I came on here to address this bull f--king s--t claim that I cheated," Garcia said.

"Everybody knows that I don't cheat."

Ryan Garcia speaks out after testing positive for PED in Devin Haney fight. pic.twitter.com/2hrfzujH1K

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 2, 2024

"Everybody knows that I don't cheat," Garcia continued. "What can I say? Why didn't they come out with this before the fight, if they found it before? Why would they let me step into the ring as a cheater, and then come out with the victory, and then they post this?

"Again, these are people that are trying to attack me, for whatever reason. But no weapon against me shall prosper, I've never taken a steroid... I don't even know where to get steroids, at the end of the day. I barely take supplements."

Garcia missed weight ahead of what was scheduled to be the WBC Super Lightweight title bout before earning a majority decision victory over Haney earlier this month.

Boxing reporter Dan Rafael and ESPN's Mike Coppinger reported Wednesday that Garcia had tested positive for ostarine, a banned PED, the day of the fight.

Haney also responded to the allegations in a statement provided to Coppinger.

"It's unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and breaking positive not once, but twice," Haney wrote.

Statement from Devin Haney to ESPN following Ryan Garcia’s positive A-sample test for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine: pic.twitter.com/IiNGQQZs1v

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 2, 2024

After Garcia weighed in at 143.2 pounds the day before the 140-pound title fight, he "immediately asked to cut a deal for the fight to proceed," Coppinger reported in April.

As part of the deal, Garcia agreed to give up eligibility to win the WBC junior welterweight title, per Coppinger.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said after the bout that Haney would retain the title despite the loss, which would have generally left the belt vacant.

It is now unclear if that loss will stand. Coppinger reported that the decision "stands to be overturned" unless a second sample comes out clean.

Coppinger noted that testing positive on the A-sample, but negative on the B-sample, is "rare."

Garcia entered the bout as an underdog to Haney, but knocked down Haney three times to pull off the upset.

Prior to the bout, he had drawn attention on social media for posts that openly discussed drinking and using marijuana. Garcia later said these posts led to him being asked to undergo a mental health evaluation from a New York sports commission prior to his fight at Barclays Center.

Garcia later told Coppinger he "got cleared from the commission to fight after the evaluation and drug test."

Ostarine is a type of selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration describes SARMs as "chemical substances that mimic the effects of testosterone and anabolic steroids." It is not contained in any legal medications, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Ryan Garcia reportedly tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug ostarine after taking a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test related to his majority-decision win over Devin Haney on April 20.

Boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported the news Wednesday, citing "multiple sources with knowledge of the results."

Mike Coppinger of ESPN added more info:

Ryan Garcia tested positive for the PED Ostarine the day before and the day of his upset win over Devin Haney, per a VADA letter obtained by ESPN. Garcia has 10 days to request his B-sample be tested. A-sample also screened positive for 19-norandrosterone but unconfirmed.

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 2, 2024

Garcia was supposed to fight Haney for the WBC super lightweight title but was disqualified from winning the belt after coming in three pounds overweight at weigh-ins.

After the news broke, Garcia responded on X:

Fake news like if I was Donald trump pic.twitter.com/PVg5EW7yLd

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024

lol 😭😭😭

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024

My bad I shouldn’t have took this pic.twitter.com/WDgWkMMyOr

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024

Haney also responded to the news, saying it "puts the fight in a completely different light."

Statement from Devin Haney to ESPN following Ryan Garcia’s positive A-sample test for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine: pic.twitter.com/IiNGQQZs1v

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 2, 2024

An infuriated Bill Haney (Devin's father and trainer) also spoke with Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix on the matter.

"You trying to hurt my baby," Haney said. "We played it fair. We didn't do it like that. F--k boxing, this is some bulls--t. I came from the streets. You scared of Devin on a level playing field. I feel f--ked up over this. If you can brag about doing it, you shouldn't be on drugs."

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency defines ostarine as follows:

"Ostarine is the trademarked name for a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) that is not approved for human use or consumption in the U.S., or in any other country. In recent years, WADA has reported an increasing number of positive tests involving SARMs, and athletes who use these substances most likely obtain them through black market channels.

"Research has shown that SARMs like ostarine have fewer androgenic properties, meaning they have less influence on the development and balance of male hormones, including testosterone. While they are not yet approved for human use, SARMs are of interest to the medical community because they might be effective at treating different health conditions without resulting in the negative side effects of steroids. Ostarine is currently being investigated as a way to treat a variety of muscle wasting diseases, such as osteoporosis, cancer, and hypogonadism."

The USADA further clarified that there are some "products that contain ostarine, but only illegal ones," and that there are "no legal medications that contain ostarine."

Garcia entered the fight as a major underdog and struggled early, but rallied back and knocked down Haney in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds. He ultimately won 114-110, 115-109 and 112-112 on the judges' cards.

Haney entered the fight a perfect 31-0 with 15 knockouts. Garcia (25-1) had only lost to Gervonta Davis.

The Colorado Buffaloes spring game was not lacking in star power.

Boxer Ryan Garcia was in attendance for the game and even visited head coach Deion Sanders in his office following the game with a full Buffaloes uniform on.

Ryan Garcia pulled up on coach prime for the Colorado spring game

Prime mad ryan ain’t tell him he was faking 😂

🎥: @KingDarius_NS pic.twitter.com/BSNx8hmUkD

— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) April 27, 2024

Sanders expressed amusement at Garcia's outfit and even partially shadow boxed with the fighter. Sanders then expressed how proud he was of how Garcia has been performing in the ring.

Sanders notably invited Garcia to the game following the fighter's victory over Devin Haney April 20. He improved his overall record to 25-1 with 20 knockouts and could see a title fight in the near future.

Garcia accepted the invite soon after the fight and followed through on his plan to attend the game Saturday. The Buffaloes offense won the game 29-24.

Colorado went 4-8 in 2023 after a 3-1 start to the season. While this was an improvement over the team's 1-11 record in 2022, it was still a disappointment given the hot start.

Sanders promised the crowd that the Buffaloes would reach a bowl game in 2024, which is the programs first in the Big-12 conference since 2010.

Devin Haney lobbied for a rematch with Ryan Garcia following his stunning upset on April 20.

"Ryan, despite the circumstances was victorious that night and that's fine," he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post Wednesday. "I do feel like weight played a role in it but only Allah knows. I would love to run it back and give the fans a FAIR fight within an agreed weight."

Devin Haney wants to run it back against Ryan Garcia, but under the agreed weight with neither fighter failing to make weight. 👀

(via: @Realdevinhaney IG) pic.twitter.com/HoxI4w4DID

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 25, 2024

Haney alluded to the fact Garcia missed the agreed-upon weight limit by 3.2 pounds. The fight went ahead as scheduled, but Haney's WBC junior welterweight championship was no longer at stake.

The previously unbeaten titleholder might have also been thrown off by Garcia's erratic behavior leading up to the event, which included him drinking from a beer bottle as he walked to the scales at the weigh-in.

Ryan Garcia (+600 ML) chugged a beer during the ceremonial weigh-ins 😭

(via @BOXINGnBBQ)pic.twitter.com/kKlOBlMGpE

— br_betting (@br_betting) April 19, 2024

Haney called Garcia a "f--king clown" in an interview with ESPN's Mike Coppinger.

"We're here now. That's all that matters," he said. "The stuff he's doing is not normal. It's obvious that something is wrong with him. But what he does outside the ring does not matter. It won't change what I'm going to do to him inside the ring."

Haney was the clear favorite going in and Garcia's antics may have led him to believe the job was even easier than he initially envisioned. That would help partially explain why he was so decisively dispatched.

Garcia scored three knockdowns and simply out-punched his opponent.

To say Garcia got lucky would be an overstatement because he was a decisive victor and it wasn't the case of him connecting on just one or two really good punches.

However, you can also easily envision Haney firmly turning the tables if they were to step into the ring again. Garcia may be in no rush for a return date, though, especially if Haney were to set the terms for the weight.

"I'm not doing 140, I'm going 147," he told reporters about his plans moving forward. "I can't make f--kin' 140. I've never even technically fought at 140. My body can't literally go lower than 143, it's impossible. I've tried every technique."

Haney would probably have to meet Garcia somewhere in the middle or accede to his demands if he wants to avenge the lone blemish on his record.

Prior to his spectacular victory over WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney this past Saturday, Ryan Garcia raised concerns over his behavior on social media.

However, Garcia claimed during an appearance on the PBD Podcast that it was all part of his plan to get eyes on him prior to the fight.

"We had it pre-recorded months ago," Garcia said, per Mark Elibert of Complex. "I said 'I'm about to make sure everybody thinks I'm going crazy. I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, watch it's going to be called 'The Great Escape.' I have it all documented. I was already planning weeks and weeks and weeks behind. I don't know what made me come up with the idea."

Garcia made several alarming posts in early March, even claiming at one point that his life was in danger. Fans grew concerned over his state of mind and wondered if taking a fight against Haney, one of the best boxers in the world, was a good idea. Garcia said he eventually decided to fully commit to the publicity stunt regardless of the worries from fans.

"One day, I just decided to go all in and just commit to a plan that I had, and I was not going to budge for nobody," he said. "It don't matter if I went on his podcast or anybody's podcast; I was acting sporadic, just like crazy."

Garcia raised more questions when he missed weight for the 140-pound fight, leaving him ineligible to win Haney's title. However, he erased all concerns once the bell rang on Saturday.

Garcia caught Haney with a clean left hook in the first round that left the champ stumbling, and he was in the driver's seat from that point on. He scored three knockdowns on his way to a majority-decision victory, which was undoubtedly the best performance of his career.

After his win, the 25-year-old opened his post-fight speech by asking the crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, "You thought I was crazy?"

It's not yet clear what's next for Garcia after Saturday's win, but he should be in line for another big fight at some point this year.

Ryan Garcia is setting his sights on his next challenge days after his shocking upset of Devin Haney.

He called out Gervonta "Tank" Davis on Tuesday and said he's prepared to fight at the 144-pound limit:

Everyone wanna talk about the little
Stupid tank

Let’s fight nuff of that funny talk

Come see me at 144 and let stop the talk

If you beat frank let’s run it @Gervontaa

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) April 23, 2024

Davis, who's unbeaten with 27 knockouts in 29 professional fights, opposes Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.

Assuming he improves his record to 30-0, a rematch with Garcia probably isn't all that appealing for the 29-year-old.

The two met in April 2023 with Davis securing a seventh-round knockout. He landed a crushing body blow on Garcia that ended the fight.

It was a thrilling spectacle from a neutral perspective, but few will have come away questioning which of the two was the superior fighter. Davis was up on all three judges' scorecards at the time of the knockout and was a more efficient puncher.

Tank KO 7 Garcia. @Gervontaa power too much for @RyanGarcia, who had his moments, but never rocked Tank, who landed 48% of his power shots- his career avg. & #1 among champ. caliber fighters. #DavisGarcia pic.twitter.com/bX0USSd7nF

— CompuBox (@CompuBox) April 23, 2023

Not to mention, setting a 144-pound weight limit would be a big change for Davis, who has settled into the lightweight division and set a 136-pound catchweight limit for his bout with Garcia.

There may not be a strong incentive for Tank to move up this much against somebody he has already beaten, and Garcia has made it clear he isn't going to cut the weight necessary for a lightweight battle.

"I don't think Tank's gonna beat Frank Martin, but if he did, he wouldn't fight me because I'm moving up," he told reporters. "I'm not doing 140, I'm going 147. I can't make f--kin' 140. I've never even technically fought at 140. My body can't literally go lower than 143, it's impossible. I've tried every technique."

Garcia might as well call Davis out because that would be a lucrative fight and he'd have the chance to atone for the only blemish on his pro record. But all of the trash talk in the world may not entice Tank into the ring.