by Keith Idec
Regis Prograis prefaced his evaluation of Ryan Garcia’s performance-enhancing drug ordeal by stressing he understands that the besmirched star “cheated” and that utilizing ostarine is “unlawful.”
The previous WBA/WBC 140-pound doesn’t suppose, although, that Garcia’s use of a banned substance had almost as a lot affect on the result of his overturned victory versus Devin Haney as Haney has acknowledged. Haney, the previous undisputed light-weight champ, even sued Garcia late final month as a result of his rival examined optimistic for ostarine after their 12-round welterweight struggle April 20 at Barclays Middle in Brooklyn.
Haney, of Henderson, Nevada, sought damages for battery, breach of contract and fraud, based on court docket paperwork.
The New York State Athletic Fee modified the results of their struggle from a majority-decision win for Garcia to a no-contest. The NYSAC additionally suspended Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs, 1 NC) for one yr and fined him greater than $1 million following a struggle during which he harm Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) quite a few occasions, scored three knockdowns – one apiece within the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds – and gained their DAZN Pay-Per-view major occasion on two scorecards.
Garcia, 26, has paid a steep worth for having a banned substance in his system. Prograis, whom Haney dominated in Haney’s earlier look, nonetheless doesn’t suppose Garcia gained a lot of a bonus from an enhancer he suspects that the Victorville, California native most likely used to shed extra pounds.
The contracted restrict for what was presupposed to be a junior welterweight title struggle was 140 kilos, which Haney met. Garcia formally weighed 143½ kilos, however Haney didn’t make him weigh in once more and as a substitute accepted a monetary penalty for Garcia’s unprofessionalism.
“I don’t actually suppose that little, small share [of ostarine] would get you beat like that – getting dropped 3 times, simply getting completely demolished,” Prograis advised Boxing Information. “I don’t suppose that basically did something an excessive amount of. It’s nonetheless like a circus occurring, as a result of I noticed folks saying Eddie [Hearn, then Haney’s promoter] say he didn’t check optimistic this present day, however then he did check optimistic this present day. So, meaning it was most likely one thing occurring with the load.
“He was most likely scuffling with the load, in order that was one thing he took for the load. Nonetheless, it’s unlawful, clearly. However I simply don’t suppose it could play that a lot of an element, actually. However he nonetheless cheated and he nonetheless needs to be punished. It’s simply, on the finish of the day, I don’t suppose it performed that a lot of an element.”
Garcia, who had some extent deducted by referee Harvey Dock for hitting Haney on a break within the seventh spherical, defeated Haney based on judges Eric Marlinski (114-110) and Robin Taylor (115-109). Decide Max De Luca scored Garcia-Haney a draw, 112-112.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 09: Devin Haney punches Regis Prograis throughout their WBC World Tremendous Light-weight Title struggle at Chase Middle on December 09, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photograph by Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures)
4 months earlier, Haney dropped Prograis within the third spherical and shut him out by the identical rating, 120-107, on the playing cards of judges Rey Danesco, Mike Ross and Fernando Villarreal. Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) will struggle for the primary time since Haney’s simple win in opposition to him on December 9 at Chase Middle in San Francisco on Saturday evening, when the New Orleans native will encounter English southpaw Jack Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) in a 12-rounder at Co-op Stay Enviornment in Manchester (DAZN; 7 p.m. GMT; 2 p.m. ET).
“I don’t suppose the best way [Haney] beat me made him overlook [Garcia],” Prograis stated. “I feel he simply knew him for a very long time. Particularly with all of the stuff that was occurring within the press conferences, I feel that he possibly neglected him. He obtained extra confidence from that, whether or not he neglected him or not. Within the press conferences, I didn’t know what was occurring.
“Ryan was going loopy. He was saying every kind of stuff, so no person knew what was occurring in that press convention. It was like he was consuming, he was excessive, he was smoking. So, I imply, I might suppose the identical factor. ‘Sh*t, he doing all these items. He going loopy. I’mma beat him simply.’ So, possibly he thought like that due to all of the stuff that was occurring within the press convention.”