Haney Goes to Court, Garcia Demands Money. Disqualification Results

On June 21, it was announced that American boxer Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 КО) received a one-year suspension after failing a drug test taken before his fight against WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) on April 20.

As a result, Ryan was banned from boxing for one year, fined $1.1 million, and the Garcia-Haney fight was declared a no-contest.

Commenting on this decision, Ryan recalled a bet he had made with Devin, where he was to pay $500,000 for every pound over the weight limit. In the end, Garcia missed the weight by 3 pounds. "Someone tell Devil Haney to return my money for the extra weight in a fight that never happened. Return my money, Haney. This fight didn't take place. I need my money," Garcia wrote on Twitter.

Haney was pleased with the decision: "I want to thank the commission and the fans who supported me throughout this process. Facts are facts, and I wasn't on equal terms with Garcia. Happy to have gotten justice for what happened. This is all part of my story, and it will only make me better. I want to enjoy this time with my family and friends and see what's next. I am a 'clean' athlete, and boxing is a brutal sport where one fight can literally change your life. I believe it is important for boxers to be 'clean,' and I want to be an advocate for athletes because of my experience in this situation," Haney said to ESPN.

Devin also responded to critics: "Where are all those idiots with their 'change your record in the profile to 31-1'? I am happy that this was not a victory by disqualification because I wouldn't want to win like that. Once it's over, Ryan Garcia, let's do it again. A clean fight on equal terms. The biggest fight in boxing. I will be back in a year... I already had all the belts. Now I will fight in any weight I choose, not in some specific category," the boxer wrote on his social media.

Later, Devin stated that he plans to sue Garcia. Haney believes he would have earned more for his next fight if not for the situation surrounding the bout with Ryan. The boxer thinks that the bidding for his fight against Sandor Martin shows this to be true: "My lawyers will do everything possible to prove this in court against Ryan. We will file a lawsuit because this affected me not only financially but also morally," Haney's words were reported by TitleSportsNetwork.

Recall that before the fight, Ryan failed to make weight and did not contest the WBC title held by Haney. Garcia won, but failed a test taken before the fight – the banned substance Ostarine was found in his body. The B sample also tested positive. Devin's team demanded Ryan's disqualification and the annulment of the fight's result.