Ryan Garcia is submitting a forceful response to what appears to be the damning result of both “B” samples that returned Thursday as positive for the banned performance-enhancing supplement Ostarine, Garcia’s attorney told BoxingScene.
In addition to crafting a prepared statement to the “B” sample results established by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Assn. with fellow Garcia legal advisors Paul Green, Matt Kaiser and Garcia’s manager, Guadalupe Valencia, Garcia attorney Darin Chavez said the fighter submitted hair and nail samples to a Paris clinic that were found to be negative for the substance.
Additionally, Chavez told BoxingScene, the Garcia team will move to have “the natural supplements Ryan was using in the lead-up to the fight” tested for possible contamination.
While Garcia posted on social media after his original positive tests that he only took the herbal supplement Ashwagandha, attorney Chavez said they will explore any supplement Garcia ingested during fight week.
Chavez said he is unsure whether Garcia informed VADA of his use of the supplement(s) while taking them before his April 20 split-decision over Devin Haney.
A substantial underdog in the WBC lightweight title bout, Garcia missed weight by more than three pounds and agreed to pay Haney $1.5 million for the transgression. In the bout, Garcia rocked the previously unbeaten Haney with two hard left hands in the first round, then knocked him down three times en route to a split-decision victory at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Haney’s attorney, Pat English, told BoxingScene Thursday that he wants the New York State Athletic Commission to suspend Garcia for a minimum of one year and switch the Garcia victory to a disqualification, meaning the outcome would be logged as a loss for Garcia and a victory for Haney. Another option would be to label the fight a no-contest.
Yet, in its statement, the Garcia legal team has positioned itself for a fight over test results when the New York commission sets a hearing date to address the matter.
“Ryan Garcia is, and has always been, committed to clean and fair competition. He vehemently denies any intentional use of a banned substance,” the Garcia legal team statement read.
“Soon after being notified of his positive test, Ryan voluntarily had his hair collected and shipped to Dr. Pascal Kintz, the foremost expert in toxicology and hair sample analysis.The results of Ryan’s hair sample came back negative, meaning Ryan has never intentionally taken Ostarine in the last six months. Ryan has voluntarily submitted to tests throughout his career, which have always shown negative results. He also tested negative multiple times leading up to the fight against Haney, including just 17 days before his positive test.
“All these factors, combined with his ultra-low levels from samples taken on April 19th and 20th (in the billionth of a gram range), point to Ryan being a victim of supplement contamination and never receiving any performance-enhancing benefit from the microscopic amounts in his system.
“We are certain that one of the natural supplements Ryan was using in the lead-up to the fight will prove to be contaminated. We are in the process of testing the supplements to determine the exact source.”
Chavez, the Garcia attorney, said Garcia took Ashwagandha because he was having a difficult time sleeping in the days leading up to the fight.
Garcia has professed his innocence throughout, going as far as alleging he’s been “set up” to have his victory stripped.
