Ryan Garcia suspended one year, fined after positive PED test

Ryan Garcia suspended one year, fined after positive PED test

ByMIKE COPPINGER

June 20, 2024, 7:29 PM

Ryan Garcia has been suspended one year - retroactive to his April 20 decision victory over Devin Haney that has been overturned to a no-contest - after the boxing star reached a settlement with the New York State Athletic Commission, the commission told ESPN on Thursday following Garcia's positive tests for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine.

Garcia also forfeited $1.2 million to his promoter, Golden Boy, Haney's attorney, Pat English, told ESPN. The commission said it fined Garcia $10,000.

In a statement, Garcia's team said the boxer did not intentionally take the substance.

"Ryan Garcia was the victim of substance contamination, with levels measured in the billions and trillions of a gram, which provided no advantage whatsoever in the ring," a statement read. "Ryan, with his legal team, has resolved this issue and firmly maintains his truth: he never intenionally took any banned substance. It's simply not in his nature."

"I want to thank the commission and the fans who stood by me during this whole process," Haney, who is once again 31-0, told ESPN during a phone interview on Thursday. "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 to enjoy this time with my family and friends and see what's next.

"I'm a clean athlete and boxing is a brutal sport where one fight can literally change your life. I think it important for fighters to be clean and I want to become an advocate for clean athletes for my experience in this situation."