Ryan Garcia’s win over Devin Haney was big, but his failed doping test results have proven to be a blot in his career. And former world champion Paulie Malignaggi isn’t happy about it! Following his breakthrough win last month, Ryan Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine for samples collected one day before and on the day of the fight.
Since then, ‘The Flash’ Garcia has vehemently denied his guilt, claiming it’s a conspiracy by Victor Conte and Haney. Moreover, he claimed that the amount found was minuscule and could not help him gain the upper hand in the fight. However, Conte, with his own shady past, has tried his best to clarify that there’s no conspiracy and the level of Ostarine found was 60 times more than the allowed limit. While Garcia awaits testing of his B-Sample on May 22, which will dictate his future in the sport, Malignaggi has already branded the boxer a cheater in an interview with Pro Box TV.
Paulie Malignaggi goes ballistic on Ryan Garcia
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Even though ‘King Ry’ has managed to clear his name over the other banned substance found in his system, 19-norandrosterone, many including Malignaggi, are convinced Ryan Garcia knew exactly what he did. Speaking about the situation, Malignaggi said, “I am gonna say it outright! I think Ryan Garcia cheated, bro. I think you took the steroids, and you knew you took the steroids, alright?”
Paulie Malignaggi: "I think Ryan Garcia cheated."👀#pauliemalignaggi #ryangarcia #proboxtv #boxing #boxeo pic.twitter.com/PsCBYQ59nT
— ProBox TV (@ProBox_TV) May 11, 2024
It’s worth mentioning that the human body doesn’t produce Ostarine—it’s a synthetic drug that helps athletes build muscle mass while losing fat efficiently. Ostarine has been also attributed to enhancing stamina, and in the case of boxing, it can be used to gain weight. However, taking the PED so close to the Haney fight can’t really have an immediate impact. Plus, Garcia had tested negative for samples collected in the lead-up to the fight. So, only the May 22 test result can shed light on the matter.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Nevertheless, Malignaggi continued, “I am gonna stop if this, if that. Bro, I am tired of all this crap. At the highest level, especially when everybody’s looking at this fight we just gave boxing its millionth black eye here.” While people in boxing have already concluded Garcia’s case, people in the UFC have come out in Garcia’s support.
UFC legend is sure Garcia is clean
In case Ryan Garcia tests positive for his B-samples, there’s a good chance he will be suspended, at least, for a while. And Devin Haney’s loss could get overturned, which of course ‘The Dream’ is after and would love to see happen after the beating he took on the world stage. However, Chael Sonnen doesn’t think Garcia is guilty of taking drugs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In his YouTube channel, ‘The American Gangster’ tried to make a case for Garcia, asking why he would put himself through scrutiny if he was going to take PEDs. “There’s nobody out there that told you Ryan Garcia was clean, except me. My gripe is why did he subject himself to this scrutiny willingly?…If there isn’t a punishment, it’s not a rule. I don’t care what the sign says. If there’s not a punishment, it’s not actually a rule,” said Sonnen.
Cheated or not, fans and Paulie Malignaggi would witness Garcia’s fate unfold on May 22. If Ryan Garcia manages to clear his name as he did for the other substance, will Malignaggi apologize? Or will Garcia, whose antics on social media have made things so much bigger, be the one to apologize to the world? Let us know in the comment section below,