After confirming a second positive drug test for boxer Ryan Garciahis legal team issued an additional statement stating that he is not guilty.
Garcia submitted a “B” sample following his upset win over Devin Haney in April, but like his “A” sample, it tested positive for Ostarine, which is a banned substance. The tests were conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
Garcia’s legal team said a hair sample tested indicated he could not have been using Ostarine long-term, which would lead to a presumption of supplement contamination.
Thursday, his legal team reiterated that statement and said an upcoming press conference will provide more details.
“Test results of samples of two supplements declared by Ryan Garcia on VADA Doping Control Forms signed on April 19 and 20 returned positive for Ostarine contamination,” Garcia’s legal team wrote in a statement. “This confirms what we have consistently stated: Ryan was a victim of supplement contamination and never knowingly used any banned or performance-enhancing substance. Any statement to the contrary, questioning Ryan’s integrity as a clean fighter, is unequivocally false and defamatory.
“Throughout his career, Ryan has voluntarily submitted to numerous tests, all with negative results, underlining 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 prove contamination and not intentional ingestion. Recent test results reiterate this.
“A press conference will be held next week to provide more information and answer questions. More details about the conference will be announced in the coming days.”
The samples that tested positive were collected the day before and on the day of Garcia’s fight with Haney, who was knocked down three times and lost a majority decision.
A date for Garcia’s hearing before the New York State Athletic Commission has not been announced. He faces suspension, fines and the nullification of his victory. Haney was undefeated entering the fight.
