Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney were in the same room under the bright lights on Saturday in London for The Ring Awards for the first time since their highly controversial clash in April.
The suspended star Garcia is on track to return to the ring after April 20 once his one-year suspension is served for testing positive for the performance enhancing drug ostarine during the Haney fight. Garcia’s bout against Haney was originally scored a majority decision win for Garcia following a three-knockdown performance only to be later overturned to a no contest once it was ruled that Garcia had ingested the PED.
A bitter Haney even sued Garcia for battery, breach of contract, and fraud following the fight.
As Garcia
recovers from a wrist injury that forced the postponement of an exhibition match in Japan, he offered details into what his future will look like once his suspension is served.
“Watching everyone continue their careers while I had to wait sucked,” Garcia told Seconds Out on the red carpet of The Ring Awards. “But now I’m here talking business and ready to fight again.
“The only way [Haney is] going to get any respect is to fight me again and try to do better. The rematch interests me for sure but a lot of things need to play out the way I need to play out. First and foremost, he needs to drop the lawsuit if he wants to have a conversation about it. I thought that was a weak move by him.
“We won't be using VADA. I'll be using the people I want to use because Bill Haney keeps on saying ‘VADA, VADA, VADA.’ That's kind of strange to me. Why can't I use USADA or any other organization? It seems fishy to me that they love VADA and VADA loves them. It's just weird. If no one is asking those questions, I wonder why?
“It tarnished my victory and turned it into a no contest. That was my best victory and they took it away. I'm salty about it and I will never use VADA again. I tested negative all the way through and all of a sudden I’m positive after I beat him. Come on.
“I know in my heart of hearts I never took steroids in my life. I'll go down till I die saying that I never did … I'm ready to fight him. I've already fought him and beat him.”
Despite the controversy around the failed drug test, Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) will be a sought-after attraction in the sport as soon he’s sanctioned to fight again.
“It's looking like I’m going to fight Teofimo Lopez,” said Garcia. “So that's good. I saw him today. It was a little strange. But other than that I'm ready to whoop his ass … I'm out here actually throwing it down with everybody. Seems like everybody is scared or whatever ... I just want to continue to fight great fighters. Fighting Teofimo Lopez would be just as satisfying as me doing a rematch with Devin.”
Manouk Akopyan is a lead writer for Ring Magazine. Follow him on X and Instagram.