Lucas Jones
When pressed for questions from journalists at Wednesday’s open media workout about the antics of Saturday’s opponent Ryan Garcia, who dominated the pre-fight promo, all that undefeated WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney said All he could do was sigh and repeat a familiar feeling.
The more Garcia acts as a means of drawing attention to Saturday’s pay-per-view grudge match, as the boxing world openly debates whether he is trolling or in the midst of a mental breakdown, the 25-year-old Haney, has remained grounded by leaning on the same understanding that has helped him achieve nothing but massive success since turning pro in 2015 at the age of 17.
Even though Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is well prepared for the speed and unpredictability of his former amateur rival when the two touch gloves inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the Las Vegas native realizes that his true toughest opponent will always be himself.
“I mean, none of Ryan’s antics really pissed me off,” Haney said. “I’m a true professional. When I step into that ring, I’m going to do my job. No matter how I feel, no matter what Ryan shows up, or whatever he says. He can say whatever he wants. I’m going to let my hands do the talking.” in the ring on Saturday night.”
Whether or not his critics are willing to admit it, Haney has done an incredible job navigating the shark-infested waters of boxing’s political and business reality to place himself exactly where he is today as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers entering. his most high-profile fight as a professional, with his chance at stardom right in front of him.
Haney, alongside his manager/trainer/father Bill, bucked the trend of exclusive long-term contracts with networks and promoters to skillfully campaign as a free agent in a way that fighters his age have rarely been able to navigate. And if mainstream identity remains the only thing Haney has lacked to this point, he couldn’t have picked a better opponent to try to cut through the fan base than Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs), whose dazzling hand speed it is only surpassed by her massive social media following, which includes 11 million followers on Instagram alone.
After all, it was critical respect that came early for Haney after he left DAZN and Matchroom Sport to sign a three-fight deal with ESPN and new co-promoter Top Rank in 2022. Twice, Haney traveled to Australia , where he beat George. Kambosos Jr. saw him become the undisputed lightweight champion. In the final fight of his deal, Haney defeated former P4P king Vasiliy Lomachenko in a close decision that, at the very least, showed how elite his skills, fight IQ and adaptability are.
Haney wrapped up Lomachenko’s breakthrough victory with a victory last December over Regis Prograis in his first fight of a new deal negotiated with Matchroom and DAZN. The one-sided performance instantly announced “The Dream” as the class of the sport’s star-studded 140-pound division and made him the unanimous runner-up to Japanese star Naoya Inoue in the 2023 Fighter of the Year vote.
But lost in Garcia’s constant angry behavior during the build-up to this weekend’s showdown, which has been dubbed by DAZN as boxing’s version of “Game 7,” is the fact that Haney, an 8-1 betting favorite , there couldn’t have been a more favorable matchup at the elite level to potentially take their brand to the next level as a legitimate PPV draw.
Although the 25-year-old Garcia managed to split the six amateur meetings between the two fighters aged between 9 and 16, their evolution as professionals could not have been more different.
Haney bucked the normal trend of a young hotshot seeking Olympic glory in favor of turning pro in Mexico, where he fought four times in the first four months alone before turning 18, where he could legally box in the U.S. as a pro. A bidding war between top promoters ensued, with father and son duo Haney proving their chess acumen every step of the way.
Garcia, on the other hand, received much more fanfare as a bright, young prospect who cultivated a large organic social media following separate from boxing’s traditional fan bases. The only problem with that is how stunted Garcia’s professional development has become as a result of this, amid constant criticism – throughout several coaching changes in recent years – that his focus on his craft isn’t where it needs to be.
This type of talk has only increased throughout the bizarre build-up to this fight, as Garcia has set off several warning alarms due to the constant conspiratorial nature of his social media posts that he may not be mentally fit to compete. The fact that Garcia sat out 15 months following his 2021 victory over former Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell, citing mental health issues, only fuels speculation that something is not right with Haney’s opponent.
When Garcia finally reached the elite level last April in a blockbuster PPV with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, not only did he succumb to a seventh-round knockout with a body shot, but Garcia was widely criticized – including by his own promoter, Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya – that he purposely chose to remain down while still physically capable of fighting.
But considering how technically brilliant Haney has become as a sharpshooter whose quickness and mastery of distance control have few peers, he is still the favorite to finish Garcia late, regardless of whether “King Ryan” is at the height of his powers. physical and mental point of view. or not.
That’s why it’s been so important for Haney to maintain his balance and patience each time he’s around Garcia at each press stop. And considering how much Garcia’s antics seem designed to anger Haney in hopes of getting him out of the game, the fact that Haney lost his cool and pushed Garcia on Tuesday during a confrontation atop the Empire State Building (after Garcia would have looked down on Haney’s mother) needs to be something the Haney team takes care of to avoid overreacting.
“I don’t see it as an advantage or disadvantage – Ryan Garcia is just another opponent for me,” Haney said. “He’s just another person on my resume. And no matter what he does, it won’t change the outcome of the fight.”
If Haney keeps a cool head and manages his affairs as expected this weekend, there’s no telling how far his rising star will progress. In the aftermath of the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao era, which produced other all-time great middleweights such as Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr., Haney appears ready to take the baton as the next star of equal critical and commercial renown who will be a most of boxing’s biggest fights over the next decade.
“Ryan may have the speed, but I have the timing,” Haney said. “I just want to show how I am above this guy. Ryan is an average fighter with a big name. [and] I was tested by some of the best fighters in the world.
“I think Ryan is a C+ fighter and I’m an A+ fighter, so it’s a mismatch. I’m here for a reason. It’s me against greatness.”
