WBC super lightweight boxing champion Devin Haney and his father/trainer, Bill Haney, have addressed Ryan Garcia’s failed VADA drug test.
Garcia made headlines this week when he tested positive for Ostarine, a performance enhancer, in three separate tests leading up to his April 20th fight with Haney. He handed Haney his first career loss by majority decision but didn’t receive Haney’s belt due to a botched weigh-in.
Amidst the newfound fog of Garcia’s victory, the Haney family has broken their silence on Garcia.
Devin Haney on Ryan Garcia: ‘He still thinks this is a joke’
In a recent statement to ESPN‘s Mike Coppinger, Haney gave his first public remarks since the news broke of Garcia’s failed drug test.
“I’ve always been an advocate for clean fighting and this is an example of such. Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet, he still thinks this is a joke,” Haney began. “We put our lives on the line to entertain people for a living. We don’t play boxing.
“This puts the fight in a completely different light. Despite the disadvantage, I still fought on my shield and got back up. People die in this sport. This is not a joking matter.”
In a separate statement to Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix, Haney’s father weighed in on the post-fight Garcia news.
“You trying to hurt my baby,” Haney’s father, Bill said. “We played it fair. We didn’t do it like that. F*** boxing, this is some bulls***. I came from the streets. You scared of Devin on a level playing field. I feel f***ed up over this. If you can brag about doing it, you shouldn’t be on drugs.”
Haney and Garcia could potentially run it back in a rematch, but no formal bookings have been made as of this writing. Regardless, Haney is expected to defend the WBC super lightweight title later in 2024.
It’s uncertain if Garcia’s victory over Haney will hold after the failed VADA tests, or if the result will be overturned. He’s bounced back with two straight wins since a loss to Gervonta Davis last year.
The aftermath of Garcia vs. Haney continues to be almost as eventful as the pre-fight buildup, and the two sides could be on another collision course soon.
