Ryan Garcia's retirement would have been the biggest news to come out of his career but this was quickly overridden by bigger news. His fight with Devin Haney came with a lot of controversy inside and outside of the ring. With guys like Gervonta Davis even taking his side, the PED controversy kept getting larger as time went by. Now, it looks like a hefty punishment is coming his way from Golden Boy Promotions and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).
Ryan Garcia's win over Devin Haney has been overturned into a no-contest, per Mike Coppinger of ESPN. This came nearly a month after some traces of Ostarine, a PED, were found in his tests. The New York State Athletic Commission has suspended him for a year and he will also pay a $10,000 fine. Meanwhile, Garcia also has to pay Golden Boy Promotions $1 million.
Devin Haney, grateful for the decision
Haney immediately outlined his feelings on the call to suspend Garcia as well as the fines given to him by the NYSAC and Golden Boy Promotions.
“I want to thank the commission and the fans who stood by me during this whole process. The facts are the facts and I wasn't on an even playing field. Happy I was able to receive justice for what happened. It's all part of my story and it's only going to make me better. I look forward to enjoying this time with my family and friends and seeing what's next,” he said.
After this loss to Garcia was scrapped from his record, Haney is finally undefeated once again. He outlined why this was such a big moral victory for him and boxing in general
“I'm a clean athlete and boxing is a brutal sport where one fight can literally change your life. I think it's important for fighters to be clean and I want to become an advocate for clean athletes for my experience in this situation,” Haney concluded.
Ryan Garcia's immediate reaction to NYSAC's decision
In what looked like a move to anticipate the suspension and no-contest decision, Ryan Garcia's retirement was announced. When the final call was made, his camp made sure to double down on the fact that the 25-year-old did not intentionally take in Ostarine. There was also a promise of his return to boxing, via Michael Benson of talkSPORT.
“Ryan Garcia was a victim of substance contamination, with levels measured in the billions and trillions of a gram, which provided no advantage whatsoever in the ring. Ryan, with his legal team, has resolved this issue and firmly maintains his truth: he never intentionally took any banned substance. It's simply not in his nature… We want to thank all of the fans who have continued to support Ryan, not only during the great moments but also through the difficult times that life brings. He will be back in the ring soon and better than ever,” the statement outlined.
Garcia claimed that he was moving on to the UFC after this call was made. Will he get an opportunity to show his skills there even after the suspension?
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