08
Jun
by Jake Donovan|
Ryan Garcia’s latest allegation left him neither blessed nor highly favored with his promoter.
Golden Boy Promotions have refuted claims made by both and WBC junior welterweight titlist Devin Haney of non-payment from their April 20 clash at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The fight aired on DAZN Pay-Per-View and distributed through other means (PPV.com, among others). Garcia (25-1, 20 knockouts) took to social media on Saturday, alleging that he has yet to receive his due compensation.
“Still no payment GBP and DAZN???” Garcia stated in a since-deleted post.
Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) quoted his post and suggested a similar status.
“Same,” suggested The Ring’s No. 1-rated junior welterweight.
It is not uncommon for main event fighters to receive supplemental payment from the PPV performance and other revenue streams. On most, if not all, occasions, they are guaranteed a base purse. A check in that amount accompanies the final contracts which are submitted to the presiding commission prior to the bout. The April 20 bout was fought under the auspices of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).
This very process is in place to ensure that fighters are paid.
Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy chairman and Hall of Fame former six-division titlist, reminded both boxers of the process. Ironically—given the tone taken in the company statement—he did so through his own verified social media account.
“As we have always done with all our fighters, Golden Boy paid Ryan and Devin exactly what they are owed under their contracts,” Golden Boy said in a media-provided statement. “As with all PPV events, revenue comes in over time and additional payments will be made when more money is received.
“If they aren’t aware of this fact, we would hope that their managers are. Or perhaps Ryan and Devin should pay more attention to their contracts than their social media feeds.”
The statement by Golden Boy is valid regarding standard fight night payment. However, it is fair to question why neither boxer has received supplemental payment from an event alleged by all parties to have been a success.
Garcia and Haney both claimed to have earned high eight-figure paydays. Pay-per-view figures were never reported, despite claims that the event sold north of 500,000 units at $69.99 standard retail price. The show generated $4,356,065 from 11,480 tickets sold according to a NYSAC-filed Authorized Combative Sports Tax Return.
Common industry practice suggests any additional payment owed—assuming there is upside—should be expectedonce all final figures are verified in the next few weeks.
Garcia won the bout via majority decision, though the feat was since buried in a hailstorm of controversy.The outspoken boxing star missed weight by more than three pounds, which left him ineligible to challenge for Haney’s WBC 140-pound title. The antic was the final unprofessional act of a bizarre pre-fight build-up.
The aftermath has somehow exceeded that.
Garcia remains under investigation by the New York State Athletic Commission for two positive drug tests surrounding the fight. Testing samples collected on April 19 and April 20 returned findings of the banned substance Ostarine (Enobosarm).
The same results were found in the tested “B” samples, as requested by Garcia. His insistence throughout the process was contamination.
Containers of two supplements—NutraBio and Body Health Perfect Amino—were tested by a WADA-accredited lab and showed adverse findings of the substance. However, it was noted in the lab reports dated May 30 that the seal for both containers were broken, and received taped for shipping purposes.
Typical supplement testing calls for a sealed sample of the same lot number used by the offending party.
A ruling has yet to come from NYSAC officials regarding disciplinary action to be taken against Garcia. The expectation is a fine, suspension and the April 20 result changed to a No-Contest. Haney’s legal team has petitioned NYSAC to go change the outcome to a disqualification loss for Garcia.
Additionally, Garcia was met with one defamation lawsuit and the threat of more to come.
Logan Paul and Prime Hydration, LLC have filed a defamation lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. In legal documents obtained by The Ring, the suit shone a light on Garcia’s social media posts alleging the sports drink contains “horrible chemicals” and “poison,” including “cyanide.” In a May 15 post on X, Garcia alleged that he “drank [P]rime and I tested positive for ostarine.”
He additionally claimed to have “real proof” of the drink causing seizures in children.
NutraBio CEO and founder Mark Glazier has threatened legal action against the boxer over claims that its company’s product was the cause of his positive drug test.
“NutraBio has never manufactured a supplement with Ostarine, and has never brought Ostarine into our manufacturing facility,” NutraBio told The Ring in a provided statement. “We have a long-standing commitment to producing the highest-quality supplements, trusted by athletes worldwide. We take any claims against our company extremely seriously and we will aggressively investigate the recent allegations made by Ryan Garcia’s camp.”
Garcia’s name continues to be attached to multiple fight options. However, no commission will touch him until NYSAC makes a final ruling. A suspension would have to be honored by all authorities under the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC).
Haney was since ordered to defend his WBC 140-pound title versus mandatory challenger Sandor Martin. The two sides have until June 11 to reach a deal to avoid a purse bid hearing.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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