Boxing champion Shakur Stevenson recently appeared on the JRE MMA Show with host Joe Rogan, where the two got into a discussion about the use of PEDs in combat sports.
The conversation eventually turned to Ryan Garcia, his match against Devin Haney, and the controversy that followed Garcia’s positive test for ostarine.
Rogan introduced the topic by acknowledging both the backlash Garcia faced and the nature of his performance in the ring.
He stated: “You know, it’s one of them things where he has the match with Devin, he beats Devin, gets popped, you know, for whatever he was on, ostarine. And then there’s like he’s got a long time off. There’s a lot of people mad at him, which is such an unfortunate thing if you think about his performance against Devin because that was incredible.”
However, Stevenson immediately drew a hard line when it came to giving Garcia credit for the win. “Yeah. But the problem is he got caught,” he said.
Rogan attempted to downplay the direct advantage PEDs might provide during a match, arguing that PEDs like ostarine don’t necessarily make someone a better boxer.
He said: “But st**oids don’t help you land punches. They help you recover in training. They help you train a little harder. They might give you a little bit more power. But that left hook was on point.”
Stevenson pushed back, saying: “Yeah. But that little bit of more power probably wasn’t enough to hurt Devin. Cuz if you really watch the match and pay attention to the match, and people might not agree with me on this, but I feel like Devin was winning the moments that was quiet.”
He continued: “Devin is winning most of the like boxing match, but the moments where Ryan was so loud and like everybody got to see him get hurt and knocked down, to where like I just feel like Devin, if he didn’t get dropped by them punches, he could have won that bout.”
Rogan pushed back once more, pointing out the obvious fact that the knockdowns did happen. “But he did get dropped. That’s the problem.”
Stevenson stated: “And also, the ostarine was helping his power.”
For Stevenson, the issue wasn’t complicated. He said: “So like I don’t know. Like for me personally, if you got caught, I can’t give you the credit for that. I don’t give him credit for that day, with that night with Devin.”
The conversation later went into a larger discussion about PEDs in combat sports and the danger they present. For Stevenson, the idea of competing against someone who might be chemically enhanced is something he finds deeply unsettling.
He stated: “I do not want to get in the ring with somebody that’s che ating. Like I feel like that’s, but I’m so good to where it’s like even if you are che ating, you ain’t going to hit me.”
At one point in the conversation, Rogan had producer Jamie look up what ostarine actually is after the PED came up again in relation to Subriel Matias.
Reading from the result, Rogan explained:Â “Ostarine, selective androgen receptor modulator designed to treat muscle wasting conditions and osteoporosis by promoting muscle growth and bone density without the severe side effects of anabolic st**oids. Popular amongst bodybuilders for enhancing muscle mass and fat loss. It’s not approved for human consumption by the FDA, banned by WADA, and linked to side effects like liver toxicity, testosterone suppression, and cardiovascular risks.”
He then went on to explain why that would be a good PED for boxers: “So, it helps you keep muscle and bone density. Well, makes sense, makes sense that that would be a good supplement for boxers.”
When Rogan asked whether major matches automatically require testing from the VADA, Stevenson made it clear he insists on it during negotiations.
“So, do you require VADA testing for all your match? And do you have that ability to do that?” he asked.
Stevenson confirmed and emphasized that he makes testing a non-negotiable part of his matches. He stated: “I do not play that.”
Rogan then asked how Stevenson would react if he ever lost to someone who later turned out to be cheating. Stevenson didn’t hide how seriously he would take that scenario.
“I would not be able to get in the ring, lose to somebody, and then know they chea ted me. Because I don’t know how I would react to that. Like that would be like one of the moments I may crash out. And I don’t do crash out things. So I might crash out about like, ain’t no way you just chea ted me, bro.”
Rogan closed the discussion by highlighting how PED use in combat sports carries far more serious consequences than in most other sports.
“If there’s a thing you’re doing that’s che ating that helps you hurt your opponent, that is a different kind of che ating. It’s not like che ating in baseball. Like, who gives a f**k if you hit another home run?”
Stevenson agreed with that distinction completely.
He stated: “Yeah. It’s like harmless. It’s like it’s not really going to hurt nobody. So, I get it. But boxing is like, it’s life or death. That’s why I don’t know how like I would react.”
