Ryan Garcia has accepted the offer for his B-samples to be tested, per various reports, officially signaling the start of the process in clearing his name. The A-samples, meaning the initially tested urine samples that he tested positive for, detected the banned substance of ostarine in his system; in addition to what may have been norandrosterone. The results of the B-samples will determine whether the results of the A-samples were accurate.

With B-samples usually being used to confirm whether there had been errors in the A-sample, Ryan Garcia (25-1, 20 KO’s) has made a momentous step towards potentially clearing his name; but also faces heavy repercussions if the results of the B-samples also test positive for banned/illegal substances. The testing is set to occur on May 22nd.

The initial urine samples were tested on April 19th and April 20th [the day of the Haney-Garcia bout] with both results indicating the use of ostarine. Following the revelation of the positive tests, Garcia had been granted 10 days by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) to request for the B-samples to be tested; thereby allowing him the opportunity to clear his name.

If both B-samples test negative, it could either suggest contamination of the A-samples or an error in testing, thereby suggesting the positive results had been an anomaly and does not indicate the use of steroids. A positive test result for both―or even either―samples, however, would virtually confirm there had been illegal substances in his body, regardless of whether they were intentionally or unintentionally ingested; which would force Ryan Garcia to start the process of proving he had not taken any performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) on purpose.

According to sports nutrionist/anti-doping advocate Victor Conte, the testing of the B-samples can take up to 2-6 weeks and occurs on a day mutually decided by both Garcia’s team and the experts that will conduct the tests. The tests are set to be carried out under observation, indicating that Ryan Garcia and his team are likely to have the opportunity to witness the entirety of the testing procedures alongside representatives from VADA.

The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has notably remained quiet following their initial message of “reviewing the matter”, declining to confirm the ‘strict liability’ stance referenced by Victor Conte. Conte suggested that this stance could lead to repercussions for Ryan Garcia regardless of whether he intentionally used PEDs or not, but there has yet to be any movement on this front by the organization.