Ryan Garcia refuses to let a drug test failure tarnish his latest victory.
There was already plenty of controversy surrounding Garcia’s win over Devin Haney this past April, with Garcia botching a shot at Haney’s super lightweight title after missing weight by three pounds. However, Garcia delivered on fight night, scoring multiple knockdowns to win a majority decision and hand Haney his first loss.
On May 1, it was reported that Garcia failed a pair of drug tests, testing positive for the banned substance ostarine. Garcia has vehemently denied that he knowingly used steroids.
In an Instagram Live conversation with boxer and social media influencer Jake Paul, Garcia went as far as to say that if he’s proven guilty, he would leave the sport of boxing.
“Ryan, if you did do it, then that’s really f*cked up,” Paul said. “I’m going to be pissed off at you as a friend, that’s f*cked up.”
“If I did it, which I know damn well I didn’t, I would quit boxing,” Garcia replied. “I didn’t do it. That’s crazy.”
It was a much-needed win for Garcia, who had bounced back from a high-profile loss to Gervonta Davis with a knockout of Oscar Duarte. Garcia was seeking his first world title, an opportunity he lost on the scale.
The 25-year-old also exhibited erratic behavior on social media ahead of the Haney fight, which he has since claimed was all an act. Now, he again finds himself having to deal with outside-of-the-ring allegations.
“At the end of the day, I know I didn’t,” Garcia said. “God is watching me at all times. I’m not going to do something to cheat people. I could have hurt him. I could have killed him. Why the f*ck would I do that? It’s so stupid, I’m not going to do it. Deadass, I would never cheat.”
Garcia has repeatedly questioned the veracity of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) process, specifically the timing of the results. According to Garcia, he tested negative several times leading up to fight week, and he believes there is a conspiracy working to undermine him.
“If all my tests came out clean all the way up to the day before my fight and the day after, obviously they’re setting me up,” Garcia said. “I don’t take f*cking steroids.
“This is like some shit I shouldn’t have to be dealing with, but because I won, they threw this shit on me. I don’t do f*cking steroids. That’s weird. I’ve never done steroids in my life.”