Ryan Garcia has refuted reports that he cheated after failing a VADA test in the lead-up to his victory over Devin Haney last month.
According to a report from boxing insider Dan Rafael on Wednesday, Garcia tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine in a urine sample taken by VADA on April 19, the day before he dropped Haney three times on route to a shock majority decision victory in Brooklyn.
Rafael noted that ‘King Ry’ also tested positive for the same substance in a post-fight drugs test on April 20.
The 25-year-old has denied knowingly using the steroid and has questioned why he was allowed to fight if he had tested positive the day before the bout.
“I came on here to address this bull-f***ing-s*** claim that I cheated,” Garcia said on a social media video.
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“Everybody knows that I don’t cheat.
“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 who are trying to attack me for whatever reason, but no weapon against me shall prosper.
“I’ve never taken a steroid in my life. I don’t even know where to get steroids.
“Big lies. I beat his a**”
The fight itself was clouded in controversy, with the Californian coming in 3.2 pounds over the 140lbs limit at the weigh in, meaning he could not win Haney’s WBC super lightweight crown.
The fight went ahead regardless with Garcia paying Haney a reported $600,000 as a penalty for missing weight.
Later on Wednesday, Garcia questioned Haney’s close relationship with SNAC founder, Victor Conte, who he claims has close links with VADA.
Conte has served time in a federal prison for his involvement in the BALCO scandal, which distributed performance enhancing drugs to athletes, although SNAC is not known to have any link to PED use.
Fake news like if I was Donald trump pic.twitter.com/PVg5EW7yLd
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024
“I heard that Devin Haney he’s connected to Victor Conte, who’s connected to VADA real close,” he said.
“Victor Conte is known to get caught for cheating.
“He got banned from baseball or whatever sport he was in.
“I don’t even know what Ostarine is, what is Ostarine?”
Garcia promoter, Golden Boy released a statement following the reports.
“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.”
Garcia reportedly had 10 days to request a B sample to be tested at his own expense.
