The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has indefinitely suspended Devin Haney following his April 20th match against Ryan Garcia. This action is purportedly due to the damage Haney sustained on fight night. Meanwhile, Garcia remains unsuspended and retains his victory over Haney, despite recent revelations of positive drug test(s). The NYSAC has indicated they are still investigating Garcia’s failed drug test, potentially allowing him to evade consequences in the coming weeks.
With corruption becoming increasingly prevalent in boxing, fighters such as Dillian Whyte and Alycia Baumgardner have recently avoided penalties for alleged PED use by claiming inadvertent ingestion of supplements or contaminated food or beverages. Ryan Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) may follow a similar strategy to avoid repercussions.
Ryan Garcia tested positive for ostarine in urine samples collected on April 19th and April 20th, leading to questions about his victory over Devin Haney (31-1, 15 KOs), who suffered three official knockdowns during their match and has been suspended indefinitely by the NYSAC for medical reasons.
In contrast, Ryan Garcia has not been suspended despite his positive drug test, as the NYSAC continues its investigation in collaboration with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), according to ESPN.
“Safety, fairness, and integrity in professional athletic competition are essential,” the NYSAC’s statement reads. “The Commission is in communication with VADA and is reviewing the matter.“
While preemptively suspending Garcia for alleged PED use would be premature, concerns have arisen regarding the transparency of the NYSAC’s handling of the case, as their sole communication has been through major media outlets like ESPN. This initial communication underscores the beginning of what could become a forgotten PED case in boxing.
As of now, the NYSAC has not issued an official statement through its own communication channels, including social media, indicating a lack of transparency and priority.
Another indication that Ryan Garcia may face minimal consequences is the vague nature of the NYSAC’s statement, which emphasizes “safety, fairness, and integrity” without specifying concrete actions to ensure these principles are upheld. While confidentiality policies are standard, the absence of transparency policies can potentially expose commissions to allegations of corruption.
Ryan Garcia could potentially clear his name by testing the B-sample, which would confirm whether ostarine and norandrosteronein were present in his system.
Although the NYSAC has the authority to take action based on the positive A-sample containing ostarine, their vague public statement suggests they may wait for B-sample results before proceeding with any disciplinary measures.
Furthermore, the NYSAC has yet to clarify the status of Ryan Garcia’s majority decision victory over Devin Haney on April 20th, leaving uncertainty about whether the result will be upheld or overturned. This scenario raises concerns, as even if Garcia admits to knowingly using PEDs, he could still retain his victory over Haney—a situation contrasting with other cases where wins were overturned due to non-PED infractions.
The NYSAC could address these concerns by issuing a clear and transparent statement outlining their intended actions based on their investigation with VADA. The current vague response has already damaged boxing’s reputation, with the NYSAC at the center despite not being a major regulatory authority in the sport.
