Devin Haney Seeks Disqualification of Ryan Garcia After Positive PED Test
In the aftermath of his April 20th majority decision triumph over Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney has requested that the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) disqualify his opponent following a positive test result for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Haney’s attorney, Pat English, submitted an eight-page letter to the NYSAC’s top brass, outlining precedents for his client’s request and detailing the justification behind it. If granted, the disqualification would officially establish Haney as the winner of the bout, rather than simply a participant in an event with an unclear outcome.
Positive Test and Conspiracy Theory
The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) reported earlier this month that Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine on both the day before and the day of the fight. This bombshell revelation capped off a series of erratic behaviors by the 25-year-old challenger, including weighing in more than three pounds over the 140-pound limit.
“While Garcia has professed that he never knowingly ingested a banned substance, he has also floated a conspiracy theory that his positive result was an ‘inside job,’ implying that someone ‘tainted’ his sample.”
Garcia has requested testing of the “B” sample, with results due by May 22nd.
Dangerous Implications of PED Use
In his letter, English reminded the NYSAC that the use of performance-enhancing substances is especially dangerous in the violent sport of boxing. He noted that both fighters had vowed not to use such substances while agreeing to Olympic-style drug testing in their fight contracts.
Haney, English wrote, had relied on these protections before participating in the bout. However, after Garcia weighed in significantly over the limit, rendering the event a non-title fight, Haney agreed to proceed, with Garcia promising to pay him $1.5 million for coming in heavy.
“After the bout, Garcia stated publicly that he had lied and he was overweight in order to get a competitive advantage over Haney,” English wrote.
Precedents and Implications
The NYSAC has not yet set an official date to determine Garcia’s fate, but the commission is armed with the ability to fine and suspend the boxer. By pushing for a disqualification rather than a simple no-contest ruling, English cited precedents in Olympic sports and the case of boxer Lucian Bute, who tested positive for ostarine following a 2016 bout.
The outcome of this case will have significant implications for both fighters, as well as the integrity of the sport of boxing.
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