Devin Haney boxing record: ‘The Dream’ wants Ryan Garcia defeat overturned
Associated PressDevin Haney’s perfect boxing record came to an end after he suffered a shock defeat to Ryan Garcia. But following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine in ‘King Ry’s’ A and B samples – ‘The Dream’ wants the result to be overturned.
The two Americans went toe-to-toe at the Barclay Center, New York on Saturday, April 20 in a bout that had garnered major interest due to the war of words between the pair.
Despite many backing Haney to get the job done, Garcia floored ‘The Dream’ three times as he secured a dramatic majority points win over his compatriot.
Yet Garcia’s subsequent positive test for ostraine could yet see the result overturned.
Devin Haney boxing record
Haney’s boxing record now stands at 31-1: 31 wins and one defeat across his 32 fights following the upset against Garcia.
The Bay Area native was previously undefeated in all of his professional outings and had proven himself across multiple weight divisions.
The 25-year-old unified all four major titles at 135 pounds (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO), including his career best win over Vasiliy Lomachenko in May last year.
“I did everything at 135 that I could,” Haney said before he made the move up the classes to junior welterweight.
His debut in the division would see him come up against Regis Prograis, winning in impressive style back in December.
The victory over Prograis showcased Haney’s skills as he won with a unanimous decision from the judges in an assured display in the ring.
Ryan Garcia tests positive for ostarine
Garcia’s A and B samples both tested positive for ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that attaches to proteins in the body to signal for muscles to grow.
It is, in essence, a substance used to build muscles and speed up the rate at which fat is burnt. It also has the added benefits of aiding recovery rates and increasing stamina levels.
Haney has since officially requested that his loss to Garcia be overturned to a disqualification win – as per a letter sent to the New York State Athletic Commission (ESPN).
Garcia’s fate now rests in the hands of the New York Boxing Commission, and his team have insisted that a sanction, if any, should be a shortened one.
“The test results from samples of two supplements declared by Ryan Garcia on VADA Doping Control Forms, signed on April 19th and 20th, have returned positive for ostarine contamination,” a statement released by Paul Greene, Garcia’s legal representative, began.
“This confirms what we have consistently maintained: Ryan was a victim of supplement contamination and has never intentionally used any banned or performance-enhancing substances.
“Any claims to the contrary, questioning Ryan’s integrity as a clean fighter, are unequivocally false and defamatory.
“Throughout his career, Ryan has voluntarily submitted to numerous tests, all of which have returned negative results, underscoring his commitment to fair and clean competition.
“Additionally, multiple negative tests leading up to his fight against Haney further affirm his clean record.
“The ultra-low levels of Ostarine detected in his samples, in the billionth of a gram range, along with his clean hair sample, proves contamination rather than intentional ingestion.
“The recent test results reiterate this. A press conference will be held next week to provide more insight and answer questions.”
Later, Greene declared that they were communicating with the boxing commission and hoping to reach a compromise on Garcia’s potential sanction.
“We understand Ryan’s going to get some kind of sanction, but we feel like, given this evidence, now it should be a light sanction.”
Haney vs Garcia controversy
Haney had actually faced Garcia in six fights prior to their most recent bout, with the pair winning three times each, but that was at the beginning of an amateur rivalry.
After meeting again as professionals, Haney, on paper, should have been more than a match for Garcia, despite the turbulent build-up. Yet his opponent used his devastating left hook to his advantage as he floored ‘The Dream’ in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds.
Haney’s fight against Garcia had attracted attention for reasons that have little relation to boxing itself due to the flurry of erratic comments online and in person from his opponent.
It came to a head just days before the fight when Garcia failed to make weight, coming in 3.2 pounds over the 140 pound limit. The fight still went ahead, but Garcia did not take Haney’s WBC title with the win – the junior welterweight belt instead has become vacant.
Garcia appeared to be drinking a beer as he took to the scales, saying afterwards that he put himself “through hell” to make the weight that he did.
Haney – who had accused Garcia of being disrespectful in the build-up to the fight – was less than impressed with the behavior from his fellow 25-year-old.
“We’re here now. That’s all that matters,” he told ESPN. “The stuff he’s doing is not normal. It’s obvious that something is wrong with him. But what he does outside the ring does not matter. It won’t change what I’m going to do to him inside the ring.
“I think he’s a f***ing clown. I think he’s going through some real issues right now.”
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