Stephen Jackson did not hold back his words when discussing Ryan Garcia and the predicament that the boxer is currently facing. To those who might not be aware, Garcia is a well-known boxer and has established himself as a prodigal talent with the potential to measure up to some of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport.
Some veteran fans will know that Stephen Jackson is a former NBA star best known for his time with the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Indiana Pacers. Although it has been around a decade since Jackson retired, he has still made his presence felt and can be considered an analyst or member of the media.
Jackson recently took to social media after hearing about the latest news involving Ryan Garcia. Now that the context has been provided, fans may be interested in hearing what Jackson had to say about the 25-year-old boxer.
Stephen Jackson claims that he has never cheated in his life
For those who might not be following the boxing world and the events that have recently occurred, Garcia had a boxing match against Devin Haney around 2 months ago. Garcia ended up winning the fight through a majority decision after going 12 rounds with Haney. However, his victory was overturned as reports soon revealed that Garcia had engaged in the use of performance-enhancing drugs prior to the fight.
Following an investigation, Garcia was found to be guilty and had his victory changed into a no-contest loss, making Devin Haney the victor. Stephen Jackson noticed that some fans showed support for Garcia and decided to attack them as well as the boxer on social media.
Stephen Jackson wants Ryan Garcia to be banned for life from boxing
“I never cheated a day in my life, in any sport and never will. And been a champion on every level. If you gotta cheat, you don’t belong in a sport.”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 22, 2024
“I’m not surprised cuz that’s what this world is. Y’all sad…A moth*rfu*ker can cheat and take steroids to win and y’all still support him and that’s sad. That goes to show why the lot of y’all sit on Instagram and ain’t accomplished nothing in life and ain’t won nothing because y’all support cheating. If you have to cheat to win in anything you’re not that. you’re not really good…”
Jackson continued, “It’s just that simple. real winners never respect cheaters. I’ve never cheated a day in my life in any sport and never will… If you gotta cheat you don’t belong in the sport. I can’t believe they banned him for a year, they should have banned him for life. You aint got enough confidence in yourself so you gotta cheat? Sad.”
Since Garcia cheated by taking performance-enhancing drugs, Jackson called him out for his actions and even claimed that the punishment of a year-long ban was simply not severe enough. Stephen even attacked the fans who showed support for Garcia and claimed that they have not achieved anything in life and are not going to change that trend unless they condemn others for cheating.
Ryan Garcia is accused of using Ostarine before his fight with Devin Haney
The use of performance-enhancing substances is quite a serious offense in the world of sports. Especially in sports such as boxing where a great deal of contact and physicality occurs. Although Ryan Garcia won his fight against Devin Haney, one could argue that the outcome would have been different if Garcia was not under the influence of Ostraine.
To those who do not know, Ostraine is a drug that greatly enhances the rate of muscle growth and development. It has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2008. Since Garcia denied taking any substance, one must wonder if it was found in his system due to the various supplements that he may have taken. In any case, Garcia has been banned from participating in any boxing event for the next year.