Ryan Garcia claims ‘inside job’ over his positive drug results and wants ‘B’ sample tested

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Garcia passionately denies that he knowingly ingested the performance-enhancing substances found in his system, telling reporters he plans to pay for testing of “B” samples that will help the case elucidate.

“I’m not cheating, man, this is God-given,” Garcia told reporters after Friday’s Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia weigh-in outside T-Mobile Arena, clenching his left hand and throwing a practice punch like the one who scored three. knockdowns of Devin Haney on April 20.

“Of course I’ll take (the ‘B’ sample). But who’s to say that if they tainted the ‘A’ sample, they won’t taint the ‘B’ sample too? Ultimately, this is an inside job.”

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed interested parties in a letter dated Wednesday that Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine the day before and the day of his majority decision win over then-undefeated lightweight champion Haney two weeks ago at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. .

In addition to claiming that taking a contaminated supplement was unlikely because the only health supplement he took while preparing for the fight was a legal product purchased at CVS, Garcia, 25, advanced a theory that the former Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) head Victor Conte influenced the positive result.

In addition to ostarine, Garcia’s aforementioned tests found a “screened positive” for a metabolite, 19-norandrosterone, of the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

The New York State Athletic Commission is investigating the matter and has the authority to reduce Garcia’s win to a no-contest, while also suspending and fining him.

“F*ck them all, buddy,” Garcia said. ‘They are all trying to take my victory away. This is some bull-f*cking-sh*t. Do your research.”

Garcia pointed to the circumstances in which Conte claimed he had turned a corner after serving a four-month prison sentence for his involvement in the BALCO scandal that ensnared baseball king Barry Bonds, Olympic sprint champion Marion Jones and boxer Hall of Famer. Shane Mosley started a clean supplement company known as SNAC and lent some knowledge to VADA founder Margaret Goodman.

“Victor Conte helped establish VADA. Look it up. This guy is banned from baseball, but we let him into boxing? Garcia said. “What kind of nonsense is that? SNAC is dirty. I did work with them, but I didn’t use them because I felt like it was a cheat.

“These bastards are known as cheaters. They know how to cheat and they know how to spoil things because they just tarnished my greatest victory. Why is it that everyone chooses ostarine? Come on man, this was an inside job.”

Appearing on TMZ on Thursday, Conte said Garcia’s reasoning, which first aired on social media, is flawed.

“His conspiracy theory is completely wrong and debunked,” Conte said. “I have nothing to do with this. I am completely independent of VADA.”

Conte serves as a supplement provider and conditioning consultant for several prominent fighters, including Haney, Terence Crawford and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

Garcia believes his positive result is a coordinated attack. “One hundred percent it’s the devil, man,” he said. “I would never use steroids in my life. …I don’t cheat in video games.

“They see a Mexican on top and want to take him down.”

He cited the fact that he has participated in VADA testing for this fight, and for his April 2023 knockout loss to undefeated Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“I tested vigorously with ‘Tank.’ I haven’t tested positive once,” Garcia said. “If there was ever a time to use steroids, it’s ‘Tank,’ right?

‘No weapon against me will be successful. Continue to pray for me as this is just the first attack.”

Garcia also questioned whether he should be taken seriously given his crazy social media activity in the weeks leading up to the Haney fight.

“There were a lot of things I said that were serious. This is serious,” Garcia replied. “Don’t believe the hype. They are trying to frame me.”

Meanwhile, Haney appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Thursday to say, “I’ve never been so outmatched, and I’ve been right there with the best fighters in the world… I had a feeling something was going on.” I definitely had to question a lot of things: my preparation, my team. That’s what a loss does to you.

“I want to be on a level playing field. Moreover, boxing is a brutal sport. I could have lost my life in that ring. That’s just the reality. If a man uses performance-enhancing drugs, it is dangerous for the guys in the ring.”

Haney said he’s “not that interested in” a rematch.

“We’ve seen the man cheat, we’ve seen his character, the kind of person he is,” Haney said. “This man showed… that he will do anything to win, including cheating. He endangered my life. It goes deeper than boxing with me.

“I want to take this somewhere else now.”

To that, Garcia replied, “We know damn well he doesn’t really want the rematch. So there will be no resit.

“The easiest fight I’ve ever had in my life. So I’m not going to fight him again. It felt like I was fighting an amateur. I’ve made it seem like he shouldn’t even be in the ring with me, (and) if he wants to do it again, I’ll beat him worse because he’ll never be the same after that whipping.

The question that now arises because of these results is whether Garcia will ever be the same.