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By: Sean Crose
It was without doubt a world class beatdown. The popular but not stellar Ryan Garcia thoroughly thrashed the highly skilled and lauded Devin Haney last spring in a pay per view upset that sent the boxing world reeling. Then word came of Garcia having the banned substance ostarine in his system around the time of the fight. So much for the victory of a lifetime. Garcia was stripped of his win and was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission (the bout with Haney had gone down at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center). Considering the fact that Garcia’s behavior was quite bizarre before the bout, it all seemed like a strange ending to a very strange affair.
Yet today the world learns that the story remains ongoing. Reporting on Haney TMZ on Friday stated that, “the 25-year-old pugilist filed the lawsuit against his nemesis in New York on Friday…alleging Garcia committed battery and fraud in the leadup to — and during — their big April 20 tilt at Barclays Center.” Yet Garcia isn’t the only one being sued, as the Californian’s promotional outlet, Golden Boy Promotions, is being taken to court, as well. According to Haney (via TMZ) the Garcia fiasco led to “physical injury, reputational damage which will amount to millions of dollars, and emotional and mental distress.”
Perhaps surprisingly, Garcia saw himself as a victim when the New York State Athletics Commission ruled against him. “They took my victory away,” the fighter known as King Ry claimed on social media. “It’s okay I’m retired I’ll come back in a year.” On Friday, however, the controversial star came across as low key and at least a bit stunned. “No words,” he posted on X Friday afternoon. Whether or not Haney has a figurative leg to stand on in court remains to be seen.
Garcia, on the other hand, is arguably in for the fight of his life – albeit outside the ring. In truth, Garcia has become a controversial figure due to the sometimes shocking comments he would make before the Haney fight. The fact that he seemed less than focused at times in the lead up to the bout raised eyebrows, as well. With that being said, it’s well worth wondering if the damage Garcia did to Haney (and he certainly did damage) was profound enough to warrant a lawsuit. Haney’s actions may have caught the fight world by surprise, but there’s no doubt boxing is the most dangerous of sports – and can be made even more so by the use of banned substances.