Ryan Garcia’s win over Devin Haney is annulled due to PED suspension

Ryan Garcia’s retirement would have been the biggest news of his career, but it was quickly overshadowed by more important news. His fight against Devin Haney was marked by great controversy inside and outside the ring. Even the likes of Gervonta Davis sided with him, and the PED controversy only grew as time went on. Now it looks like he’s facing severe punishment from Golden Boy Promotions and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).

Ryan Garcia’s win over Devin Haney has been changed to a no contest, according to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. This comes nearly a month after his tests found traces of the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine. The New York State Athletic Commission has suspended him for a year and he must also pay a $10,000 fine. In the meantime, Garcia must pay Golden Boy Promotions $1 million.

Devin Haney, grateful for the decision

Haney immediately expressed his feelings regarding the decision to suspend Garcia and the fines imposed on him by NYSAC and Golden Boy Promotions.

“I want to thank the commission and the fans who stood by me throughout the process. Facts are facts and I did not have an equal opportunity. I am glad I was able to get justice for what happened. This is all part of my story and will only make me better. I look forward to enjoying this time with my family and friends and seeing what happens next,” he said.

With that loss to Garcia erased from his record, Haney is finally undefeated again. He explained why this was such a huge moral victory for him and the sport of boxing in general

“I am 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 because of my experience in this situation,” Haney concluded.

Ryan Garcia’s immediate reaction to the NYSAC decision

In a sort of anticipation of the suspension and the decision not to fight, Ryan Garcia’s retirement was announced. When the final decision was made, his camp stressed that the 25-year-old had not intentionally taken Ostarine. Michael Benson of talkSPORT also promised that he would return to boxing.

“Ryan Garcia was the victim of substance contamination with concentrations of billions and trillions of grams that did not give him any advantage in the ring. Ryan and his legal team have resolved this issue and are sticking to the truth: he never intentionally ingested a banned substance. It is simply not in his nature… We want to thank all the fans who have continued to support Ryan, not only in the big moments, but also in the difficult times that life brings. He will soon be back in the ring and better than ever,” the statement said.

Garcia claimed he would join the UFC after that call. Will he get the chance to showcase his skills there even after the suspension?