Ryan Garcia‘s past continues to follow him. With the fight against Conor Benn now officially confirmed for September 12, the WBC welterweight champion has made history as Dana White‘s Zuffa Boxing, which promotes Benn, will, for the first time, collaborate with a rival promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to bring the fight to life.

Yet, despite the feat, which was once considered unthinkable given Zuffa’s stance on working with other sanctioning bodies and competitors, Ryan Garcia remains a prisoner of his own history, particularly the chapter surrounding his alleged substance abuse. In the latest development, Garcia finds himself involved in a three-way cyber-sparring with bitter rival Devin Haney and his father, Bill. Tired of the duo’s constant references to the PED allegations that followed their hugely controversial fight in 2024, Garcia has now threatened legal action.

“Ima hit you with a lawsuit, Mr. Haney,” his reply to Bill Haney read. “For one being a bi–h and one for constant lying on me, it’s been confirmed and documented I was suspended for not disclosing supplements I was using. It’s a fact that the amount I had was not enough to benefit me. HOLD THAT L BI–H.”

The immediate source of his frustration appears to be Devin and Bill Haney’s incessant references to the PED case that continues to follow Garcia. No sooner had he commented on a DAZN post that featured Devin working on a heavy bag than the WBO welterweight titlist and his father went into attack mode, commenting on Garcia’s alleged Ostarine consumption.

Despite his dominant win over Mario Barrios, which made him a first-time title holder this past February, Garcia’s name remains closely tied to the controversy that unfolded following his fight against Devin. While the WBC welterweight champion initially won the bout that took place on April 20, 2024, at the Barclays Center, the situation changed quickly after his VADA tests returned positive for Ostarine, a banned substance. After investigating his case, the New York State Athletic Commission fined him and suspended him for a year. The match decision was overturned to a no-contest, handing back Devin Haney his 0-loss record.

What continues to give Haney ammunition against Garcia is the fact that while he denied any wrongdoing throughout the incident, he reportedly reached a settlement with the commission, suggesting the move may have been aimed at avoiding a hearing, something many continue to view as an indication of guilt.

Devin Haney’s subsequent lawsuit against Garcia, seeking damages for breach of contract, fraud, and battery, further added to the scandal’s notoriety. A year later, as anticipation surrounding their rematch grew, reports indicated that Devin was dropping the lawsuit.

While subsequent social media posts showed the duo meeting on friendly terms, Team Haney has, however, remained firm in its position that Garcia enroll in year-round random Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) testing before securing a rematch.

In another post on X, Garcia, meanwhile, sounded serious about taking legal action against the Haneys.

How a lawsuit against Devin Haney could weigh on Ryan Garcia

“I’ve had enough of the Haneys’ constant lies and smearing of me,” he wrote a few minutes later. “I’m officially filing a lawsuit against them. Lying, I haven’t been tested or won’t sign up. And accusing of me being on steroids. Also, that I was ‘caught’ for more than one banned substance, which is a lie. They found a trace amount of Ostarine, and they can’t hold that f–king L.”

His comments drew another round of scathing criticism from Devin Haney, who blamed Garcia for cheating in their fight before Garcia responded that he had beaten him thoroughly during the bout.

Considering that he lined up for a major fight against one of Great Britain’s biggest names in Conor Benn, Garcia must have felt that Haney’s constant reference to his past could pose a serious threat to his reputation as a defending champion.

The fight is less than two months away. At this stage, his focus should remain on the impending matchup that could define the next chapter of his career. Given those circumstances, he could barely afford any distractions, particularly those connected to his past and requiring him to constantly stand up and defend himself.

A weakened position at this stage could become an opening for a highly volatile opponent like Benn, who might not waste any opportunity to get inside Garcia’s skin.

More significantly, the situation warrants a closer look. If Garcia follows through on his words and files a case against the Haneys, what could the long-term implications be?

The matchup against Benn is being viewed by many as the gateway to the much-desired rematch with Devin and an opportunity to settle the score between the two. The latter, who is in talks for a highly anticipated matchup against Zuffa’s newest signee Shakur Stevenson, could eventually circle back to a title unification fight against Garcia.

Already, Bill Haney has made the situation more complicated by saying Garcia remains at the bottom of their list of future matchups.

Given those sentiments, if Garcia files a lawsuit, whether the rematch with Haney ever materializes remains a significant question.