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Boxing star Ryan Garcia has been suspended one year after he reached a settlement with the New York State Athletic Commission following his positive tests for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine, the commission told ESPN on Thursday.
The suspension is retroactive to Garcia’s April 20 decision victory over Devin Haney, which has been overturned to a no-contest.
Garcia, 25, also forfeited his purse, the commission said. His disclosed purse was $1.2 million, sources said, which is what he will give up, though his guaranteed earnings were millions more. The commission said it also fined Garcia $10,000.
“I want to thank the commission and the fans who stood by me during this whole process,” Haney told ESPN during a phone interview Thursday. “The facts are the facts, and I wasn’t on an even playing field. Happy I was able to receive justice for what happened. It’s all part of my story and it’s only going to make me better. I look to enjoy this time with my family and friends and see what’s next.”
Garcia will be reinstated April 20, 2025, provided his urine test is returned with no banned substances, the commission said. The settlement with the commission to accept punishment means a hearing is avoided.
Garcia was ineligible to win the WBC junior welterweight title, which Haney maintained, after he missed weight. Haney had never been knocked down in 31 previous pro fights, but was floored in Rounds 7, 10 and 11 en route to the majority decision defeat. But that loss has now been wiped from Haney’s record, and he’s again 31-0.
“Ryan, with his legal team, has resolved this issue and firmly maintains his truth: he never intentionally took any banned substance,” Team Garcia said in a statement provided to ESPN. “It’s simply not in his nature. … The fans will always remember his performance against Haney as a masterclass, and that will never be erased.”
source: ESPN