Devin Haney reacts to Ryan Garcia drug-test reports: ‘People die in this sport’

Devin Haney has accused Ryan Garcia of ‘fighting dirty’ and ‘disrespecting boxing’, after the latter reportedly failed drug tests before and after their fight.

Garcia dropped Haney three times en route to a decision win in Brooklyn on 20 April, after a build-up that saw “King Ryan” miss weight by three pounds and concern fans with a spell of unsettling behaviour. Garcia, 25, underwent a mental-health evaluation before the fight but later claimed that his behaviour was an “act”.

On Wednesday, Dan Rafael and ESPN reported that Garcia failed a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) test on 19 April – the day before the fight – and another after the bout on 20 April. The American reportedly tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine in both cases. The Independent has contacted Vada for comment.

Haney, 25, has now issued a statement to ESPN, saying: “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.

“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.”

Haney was unbeaten prior to his defeat by Garcia, who was ineligible to take his fellow American’s WBC super-lightweight belt due to his failed weigh-in.

Garcia addressed Wednesday’s reports by saying on X (formerly Twitter): “Everybody knows that I don’t cheat. Never taken a steroid, I don’t even know where to get steroids. I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat him.

“They are trying to take my greatest victory away, kinda sad when you think about it. Why in the world would I volunteer for a drug test if I planned on taking drugs?”

Golden Boy Promotions, which is run by Oscar De La Hoya and represents Garcia, said: “Ryan has put out multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances – and we believe him.”