By: Sean Crose
It appears that Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia are in legitimate talks for a major fight.
“I have advised my team to contact Team Haney to discuss and make the fight happen between me and Devin #GarciaHaney,” Garcia posted on social media Tuesday. The popular 25-year-old added: “The ball is in your court, Devin. I have made my move and I am showing you and the boxing community that I am committed to this fight. #GarcíaHaney.” Suffice it to say that Haney did hear from the Garcia team. “These are facts,” he responded to García’s initial post. The story advanced further on Wednesday when Oscar De La Hoya, García’s promoter, stated that “the ball is rolling.”
A battle between Haney (31-0) and Garcia (24-1) would certainly be a great event for the sport of boxing. One that might even appeal to casual fans. While Haney will likely come into the match as a heavy favorite, Garcia can hit like a sledgehammer. What’s more, it’s extremely confident and fun to watch. He may not have looked as stellar when he fought Gervonta Davis last spring in a fight in which he ended up getting knocked out, but the man is still a popular and brave commodity. Additionally, according to talkSPORT’s Michael Benson, Garcia and Haney faced each other as amateurs, with each fighter winning three of the six contests.
However, there is no doubt that Haney has proven to be one of the best talents in the professional ranks. He recently won the WBC junior welterweight title by completely dominating Regis Prograis, a man who was widely viewed as Haney’s equal. Although there has been a lot of discussion about Haney’s fight against Gervonta Davis, it is Team Garcia that Team Haney is arguing with. “Nothing has really taken off,” Haney told The MMA Hour about a potential fight with Davis. “His team hasn’t contacted us or anything like that.”
Still, Haney is obviously eager to have a legitimate megafight, and a showdown with Garcia would more than fit the bill. “The fight against Gervonta Davis is the biggest fight in boxing today and Ryan Garcia is not far behind, so one of those two fights for sure,” Haney told The MMA Hour. “My thing now is that I have achieved everything in the lightweight division. I became uncontested, I got all the belts, I did all that. Now it’s about making the biggest fights happen for the biggest amount of money and that’s a formality.”
