Ryan Garcia's “B” samples came back Positive For Ostarine; The matter is now in the hands of the NY Commission

Ryan Garcia has some work to do to clear his name.

A ring confirmed that the test results of sample “B” confirmed the true detection of Ostarine [Enobosarm]. Garcia tested positive for a banned substance in samples collected through a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) contract test surrounding his April 20 victory over Devin Haney.

The results were reported Thursday morning by the Sports Medicine Research & Testing Laboratory, according to documents obtained by Sports Medicine A ring. They were returned less than 24 hours after Garcia's designated representative saw the release of his “B” sample for analysis.

These findings were reported to Garcia, Golden Boy Promotions (Garcia's promoter), Haney, the World Boxing Council, NYSAC officials and the boxers' legal groups.

The result now casts doubt on the current outcome of his victory over Devin Haney.

Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite was the first to report the development.

Garcia defeated Haney by majority decision on April 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight was held under the supervision of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), which is currently investigating the matter. Now they have to make a decision on this matter, given the test results.

Garcia had until May 11 to file a request for the “B” sample to be opened and analyzed, a proposal made by his legal team. The 25-year-old man from California expected the same result, but he also said that the infection in his rational days. Some extreme measures suggested the setup.

“I don't care if I can't make money from boxing again,” Garcia wrote to X when the test results were read. “Your loss is not mine [f]or you fix me lol joke on [y’all].”

The length of Garcia's suspension will be left up to the NYSAC. The expectation is that the result of the April 20 fight has been changed to a No-Contest. As previously reported by The Ring, Haney's team took the extreme—albeit unprecedented—step of having Garcia disqualified. Such a decision would restore Haney's previously unblemished record, although it would be the first under NYSAC rules given the results of a test outside of its agreements.

Garcia (25-1, 20 knockouts) knocked down Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) three times en route to a majority decision victory. Haney was allowed to retain his WBC 140-pound title, despite the defeat. Garcia was ineligible to win the belt after missing weight. The outspoken boxer weighed in at 143.2 kilograms during the April 19 weigh-in.

Because he was so far from the limit of separation, there was not even an option to lose more weight in the allotted time. Garcia had to pay a fine and renegotiate the fight contract in order to move on to the main event.

You will now have to prove that you have the disease to avoid being penalized for drug test results.

Enobosarm is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). Its main purpose among men is to prevent muscle loss. The substance was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2008. It is not allowed for any medical use-prescribed or otherwise.

It continues to appear in boxing circles, however.

The latest incident was in Amir Khan's test results regarding his February 2022 knockout loss to Kell Brook. The former 140-pounder was subsequently banned for two years, although he announced his retirement at the time.

Former WBC super middleweight champion Lucian Bute also tested positive for Enobosarm during his April 2016 draw with Badou Jack. This was found in a post-fight sample whose results were returned on May 27, four weeks after their title fight. Bute insisted on being heard about the dirty supplement. His B sample also came back positive, the results of which were not read until August 12, nearly four months after the war. The Washington DC commission accepted Bute's pollution alibi but issued a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine.

Lucas Browne was selected for this item during the November 2016 tryouts by the WBC Pure Boxing Program. It was his second test of the year. Browne previously tested positive for Clenbuterol, which caused him to lose the WBA 'Regular' heavyweight title he won to Ruslan Chagaev.

Alexander Povetkin also produced two positive drug tests that year, including Ostarine from a sample in December 2016. He was cleared to fight that night, although he no longer holds the interim WBC heavyweight title.

Povetkin previously tested positive for meldonium which cost him a May 2016 title fight against undefeated Deontay Wilder.

The results of this fight mark Garcia's first trial in eight years as a professional. His first reaction was to dismiss the findings and suspect a frame job.

“I have never taken a steroid in my life,” Garcia insisted in a video posted on his social media channels. “I don't even know where to get steroids. I don't take supplements lightly. They say it's from ashwagandha, it's fucking retarded.

“Big lie, I beat him. Get out of here.”

What happened in the ring will be recorded forever. What the record books show as a result is now in the hands of the executive commission.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JakeNDaBox