Ryan Garcia has filed a counterclaim lawsuit against Devin Haney and his father, Bill Haney, in New York court, seeking "no less than" $7.5 million in damages. The legal battle stems from Haney’s original claims of battery, fraud, and breach of contract against Garcia following their April 20 bout, which ended as a no-contest due to Garcia testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine.
Garcia's attorneys argue that the Haneys’ lawsuit is a tactic to force a rematch under stringent drug-testing requirements, tarnish Garcia’s reputation, and inflict economic harm. They deny allegations that Garcia cheated or took intravenous fluids before the fight, insisting that Devin Haney assumed the inherent risks associated with professional boxing when he agreed to face Garcia.
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The counterclaim highlights the payment Garcia made to Haney for coming in overweight for their intended WBC 140-pound title match, including a $600,000 penalty and 2% of net event revenue. Garcia’s legal team maintains that the Haneys’ demands and social media posts accusing Garcia of cowardice and doping amount to harassment and must be held accountable.
Haney’s attorney has dismissed the counterclaim as "silly" and predicts it will not meet legal standards. Despite the skepticism, the ongoing legal battle indicates that neither side is backing down anytime soon. Both fighters, once potential ring rivals, are now facing off in a different kind of arena, one where judges, not judges' scorecards, will determine the outcome.
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