Ryan Garcia's boxing suspension has ended, closing a chapter on a tough year for the 26-year-old fighter from Victorville. Garcia's return to the ring is set for Easter, marking the end of his punishment for testing positive for Ostarine.
Garcia's troubles started before his fight with Devin Haney last April. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association found Ostarine in Garcia's system. Garcia won the fight, but his victory got taken away. He lost $1 million in purse money and had to pay a $10,000 fine. The boxer also had to pass a drug test to come back.
Garcia shared his feelings on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter):
"Wow, my suspension is officially lifted on Easter, super cool. All glory to Jesus"
The drug test issue has caused more problems for Garcia. Haney has filed a lawsuit against him for assault, fraud, and breach of contract. Haney's upset about losing and thinks Garcia had an unfair advantage because of the drug use.
But there might be a way to solve this outside of court. Haney said:
"If we fight, there will be no lawsuit. We will withdraw the lawsuit."
Both fighters have matches coming up on May 2 in New York. Garcia will face Rolly Romero, while Haney will take on José Ramírez. If both win their fights, they might meet again in October in Saudi Arabia.
Garcia's return to boxing after this rough patch will be closely watched. The young boxer has a chance to put this difficult period behind him and focus on his career again.
