Ryan Garcia Shuts Down Devin Haney Fight Talks

Talking to reporters after their press conference, Garcia shut down any mention of Haney’s callouts, stating that there was a need to reshape public perception about the fight.

“That’s definitely a move from their PR team. They keep saying it just so they can erase that a*s taking he took. He took a bad a*s whooping,” he said.

The April 2024 fight night saw Garcia knock Haney down three times, and he was declared the winner by majority decision. While the fight was a major upset, Garcia was ineligible to win Haney’s title as he came over the weight limit.

Garcia’s positive test for Ostarine soon after led to an overturning of the results and also led to him facing major flak from both Haney’s team and the boxing community at large. He was fined approximately $1.1–$1.2 million and forfeited his purse from the bout. Moreover, he was suspended for 12 months.

Reporters were quick to ask him about his suspension following the failed drug test, but Garcia was quick to remind them that the suspension he received was rather unfair.

 “As you can see with everybody else that got caught with Ostarine, they don’t get 12 months. I got 12 months,” he said. “So, they definitely made an example out of me. It’s okay. We did our time for a crime that we did not do, and we’re ready to move forward.”

“People Say Steroids”

When doubts arose about Garcia’s natty status ahead of the upcoming fight, he was quick to remind them that he is undergoing tests. Moreover, he expressed disappointment in the fact that his work ethic is often undermined.

“VADA testing. What do you think we’re doing? You don’t think they’re going to test?” he said during the same interview. “Yeah, they’re testing. I’m training hard. When somebody else has a six-pack, they’re in shape. When I have one, people say steroids.”