By: Sean Crose
Yesterday was most distinctly not a good day for Ryan Garcia. The controversial 25 year old fighter nearly had the book thrown at him by the New York State Athletic Commission as a result of testing positive for the banned substance ostarine before and after his huge win over Devin Haney in Brooklyn last spring. Not only was the victory over Haney overturned, Garcia was also suspended from fighting in New York (which pretty much means anywhere, as commissions tend to adhere to each other’s rulings) for a year.
On top of all that, the boxer known as “King Ry” has to say good-bye to a lot of money. The million plus dollars that made up the purse for the Haney fight will be forfeited (Garcia ended up earning far more for the fight, but a million dollars is a lot to lose no matter what way you look at it). Last but not least, Garcia is also being fined ten grand for fighting with a performance enhancing drug in his system. Suffice to say, Haney, who was completely thrashed by Garcia in their April battle, was thrilled the loss was changed to a “no contest” on the official record.
“Thank you too the commission for doing the right thing & making the right decision,” Haney stated on social media. Garcia, on the other hand, was clearly furious with the ruling. “They took my victory away,” he stated on social media. “It’s okay I’m retired I’ll come back ina year.” Sure enough, Garcia did announce his retirement a day before the New York Commission’s ruling – a move that raised some eyebrows due to its timing. Yet Garcia had a lot more to say, which was certainly not surprising, as the fighter has become known for his numerous and sometimes shocking social media statements.
“Take my victory away,” he posted, “add that on to the list of the shit I’m already going thru – I’m ready for business – Get ready I already ain’t give a fuck – Run when you see me.” Garcia also expressed a desire to move over to the UFC, the premiere mixed martial arts league. “I’m headed to the UFC,” he stated. “For real Dana white hit me up.” As is his habit, the now 24-1 fighter continued to post furiously into the evening on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Garcia’s promoter, Golden Boy (who will ironically be receiving Garcia’s million plus dollar forfeit) presented a united front for the media. “Ryan Garcia was a victim of substance contamination,” the outlet stated in a press release, “with levels measured in the billions and trillions of a gram, which provided no advantage whatsoever in the ring.” Golden Boy went on to claim that “the fans will always remember his (Garcia’s) performance against Haney as a masterclass, and that will never be erased.”