Reports: Ryan Garcia tested positive for banned substance before fight against Haney

Ryan Garcia’s 12-day victory lap that saw him hanging out with former President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago Club and then the University of Colorado with Deion Sanders came to a screeching halt Wednesday afternoon.

According to multiple online reports, including boxing journalist Dan Rafael, Garcia tested positive for a banned substance on the eve of and again on the day that he beat Devin Haney in a stunning upset by majority decision.

According to ESPN's Mike Coppinger, who obtained a copy of a letter sent to Garcia and Haney from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), the Victorville native tested positive for Ostarine, which is not approved for human use or consumption in the U.S., or in any other country, according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

“Ryan has put out multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances — and we believe him. We are working with his team to determine how this finding came to be and will address this further once we conclude that process,” read a statement from Golden Boy Promotions on Wednesday night.

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) has 10 days to request his B-sample be tested. His A-sample also screened positive for 19-norandrosterone but the result was still unconfirmed, according to Coppinger’s report.

Shortly after the news broke Wednesday, Garcia went on X and Instagram to address the situation.

“Why in the world would I volunteer for a drug test if I planned on taking drugs? Make it make sense,” Garcia wrote in a tweet.

Garcia also posted two photos of a supplement bottle of ashwagandha root, which the labeling says “supports balanced energy and resistance to stress.”

If Garcia’s second sample is positive the fight will be ruled a no contest.

Garcia weighed in for the April 20 fight in Brooklyn just over three pounds above the 140-pound limit, making him ineligible to capture Haney's WBC junior welterweight title. Garcia knocked Haney down three times en route to scoring a majority decision, with one judge scoring the bout a draw.

“They're trying to make it a no contest. You're right there was no contest. It was easy work. Left hook was crazy,” Garcia said during an Instagram live video. “Say I did take Ostarine. I would have made weight because it makes you lose weight. Why is it that I volunteered to do the drug test if I knew I was going to start cheating. We came from nowhere. We don't know how to cheat. They are out to get me. That's a fact. It is what it is. ... No weapon against me shall prosper.”

Haney released a statement to ESPN, saying "Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet he still thinks this is a joke," Haney wrote. "We put our lives on the line to entertain people for a living. You don't play boxing."

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Reports: Ryan Garcia tests positive for a banned substance