Bill Haney confirmed today that the lawsuit he and his son, Devin, have out on Ryan Garcia still exists. They plan on making an example of Garcia and setting a precedent to warn other fighters what could happen if they use PEDs.
Setting Precedent
Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine in his fight against Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) on April 15th in Brooklyn, New York. He beat Haney by a 12-round majority decision and dropped him three times.
Bill insists that Ryan’s win was due to his having Ostarine in his system, and he wants him to pay. It’s unclear how much Bill and Devin hope to get for their lawsuit. If they win millions and get a rematch with Ryan, it would be a huge windfall for them, but it might not work out in their favor.
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya said this week that there won’t be a rematch for Haney when Ryan returns in April or May 2025.
Some fans believe Haney has chosen to sit out of the ring for a year because he doesn’t want to risk getting beaten before getting a well-paying rematch. If Devin doesn’t get the rematch with Garcia, he’ll have missed out on a lot of money he could have made by staying active instead of sitting and waiting.
PED Controversy
“He stepped to Ryan and got hit with a left hook many times. I think you’ve seen we’re working on the holes or chinks in the armor and move forward,” said Bill Haney to Fight Hub TV about Devin Haney working on blocking the left hook after losing to Ryan Garcia last April.
“We factored it in [blocking Ryan’s left hook if there’s ever a rematch], but you can’t factor in the Ostarine. We couldn’t factor in how strong he would be and how fast he would recover. I thought it would be man against man on an even playing field, but it wasn’t. Now we have to move on.
“Whatever reason he used it. We know that Ostarine helps with speed and helps with recovery. Even more detrimental to an opponent, it helps with power, and he has power. To enhance his power and use Ostarine, he definitely had an advantage,” said Bill Haney.
Few people believe Ryan’s Ostarine test is why he beat Haney. His left hook would have been just as lethal regardless of whether he had that drug in his system. Haney had already been having chin problems before his fight with Garcia, getting hurt by Jorge Linares and Vasily Lomachenko.
“It’s something that he pled guilty to the New York State Athletic and Golden Boy Promotions was awarded a million dollars for it. Oh, absolutely,” said Bill when asked if he was still going through with the lawsuit.
“It’ll set a precedent that there will be ramifications and consequences for anyone using PEDs in any form. Of course, battering a fighter is part of a game, but not battering a fighter and using drugs. There’s no place for drugs in boxing, and we’re standing on that,” said Bill Haney.
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