There’s still unfinished business between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
Haney Files Lawsuit Against Garcia
Months after their boxing match in April, which was overturned from a majority decision win for Garcia to a no-contest result after a positive drug test for performance-enhancing drug Ostarine, Haney is suing his former foe for battery, fraud and unjust enrichment, according to a report from Boxing Scene on Friday.
Haney (31-0, 1 NC) went through quite the media circus with Garcia (24-1, 1 NC) in the lead-up to their fight with all sorts of antics coming from “King” Ryan before he put on a performance of a lifetime across 12 rounds of boxing. Dropped three times was Haney and while he may not have won the battle against Garcia, “The Dream” hopes to win the war (legally).
The boxer’s attorney, Pat English, filed the lawsuit at the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York, a mile away from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center where they fought on pay-per-view – seeking punitive damage for Garcia’s transgressions, including PED use, supported by multiple positive drug tests.
“At no time did Devin Haney consent to engage in a bout against a boxer who was positive for a performance-enhancing drug, performance enhancing-procedure or masking agent and would not have proceeded with the bout had he known,” English wrote in the 16-page lawsuit. “The New York State Athletic Commission would not have permitted the bout had it known of the positive finding or of Garcia’s IV use.
“Adding insult to the Commission and to the sport of boxing, Mr. Garcia has alleged that he was ‘high as f*ck during’ his bout with Mr. Haney. This very clearly brings disrepute on the sport of boxing and by derivation on the New York State Athletic Commission.”
Battery
Haney’s attorney English cites that Garcia, who tested positive for Ostarine, fighting his client was “non consensual” as Haney…
“at no time agreed to engage in a bout against an individual who had taken a performance-enhancing drug,” English wrote. “His consent was limited to a bout held fairly and under the rules and prohibitions set forth above. Thus, the fighting (touching) by Garcia was non consensual. Devin Haney suffered damages in that he suffered physical injury, reputational damage which will amount to millions of dollars, and emotional and mental distress.”
Enrichment
On top of all the other moving figures in the lawsuit and his Golden Boy Promotions’ payday withheld as a result of a June 20 New York commission order, Haney’s list of demands includes Garcia returning his guaranteed purse with the 25 year-old claiming he’s entitled to 47% of all profits from the bout as per his contract and that it should all be returned.
Here’s more on the enrichment count from English’s filing:
“By virtue of his actions Ryan Garcia was enriched, at the expense of Devin Haney, to the tune of millions of dollars. Specifically, Ryan Garcia advanced his reputation at the expense of Devin Haney. This translates to significant loss of future earnings for Devin Haney.
“Ryan Garcia additionally received millions of dollars to which he was not entitled. It is against equity and good conscience to permit Ryan Garcia to retain what is sought to be recovered in this action.”
I’m being sued for doing my Job,” Garcia wrote on Instagram. “This fight has been a Netflix documentary but this right here is the finale. Your honor he simply struggles with left hook syndrome.”
