The New York Commission will reportedly investigate Ryan Garcia’s positive drug tests for his victory against Devin Haney on April 20th, potentially overturning the win and making it a no-contest. Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) would then be undefeated once again.
Rematch on the Horizon?
Depending on how the New York Commission’s investigation plays out, we could see a rematch between Haney and Garcia. It would have to be above the 140-pound weight limit because Ryan (25-1, 20 KOs) claims he can’t get down that low. It would have to be at a catchweight of 143 to 145 for a second Haney-Garcia fight to take place.
Haney wouldn’t have his WBC title at stake, but I don’t think he cares. That’s the biggest payday possible for Haney, and he’d rather fight Ryan again to try and redeem himself while making a boatload of cash in the process.
The alternatives are much worse for Haney. Fight WBC mandatory Sandor Martin for little money in a risky match that he might lose. Haney’s other options are also risky, fighting one of these champions:
– Subriel Matias: IBF
– Teofimo Lopez: WBO
– Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz: WBA
Regaining his unbeaten record won’t change the weakness that Haney showed in his fight with Garcia, getting hurt repeatedly showing zero power, and clinching frequently as he’s done in the past.
A rematch would likely see Haney returning to his old style of fighting, using a lot of holding, moving, and jabbing to prevent Ryan from landing his power shots. It’ll be boring to watch, but Haney would have a much better chance of winning using that style of fighting.
Garcia Denies Knowingly Using Banned Substances
“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,” said Golden Boy Promotions.
For Ryan to be cleared, he’s going to need to produce whatever supplement that contained the two banned PEDs that he tested positive for. He mentioned a nutritional product yesterday on social media that he thinks could have caused his positive test.
If that product doesn’t contain the two PED substances, it’s going to be difficult for him to prove that he didn’t knowingly take the PEDs.
