NEW YORK – Devin Haney looked fit as he settled into a seat on the dais Tuesday. Trim, even. Not close to the 140-lbs. limit he will need to make April 20, when he defends his title against Ryan Garcia, but not that far off. He was sharp, focused and eager to engage Garcia in the first official promotional event for this upcoming pay per view.
Ryan Garcia? Well …
Among the questions that emerged from Haney and Garcia’s two-city press tour were about Garcia’s fitness. Haney, certainly, is ready. Last year was a banner year for Haney, Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Fighter of the Year. He edged out a win over Vasyl Lomachenko and in his first fight at 140-lbs., pitched a shutout of then-titleholder Regis Prograis. At 25, Haney is peaking as a fighter.
Garcia’s 2023 was more mixed. His fight against Gervonta Davis last April was a box office success, but ended with Garcia on a knee after a crippling body shot in the seventh round. In December, Garcia rebounded with an eighth-round knockout of Oscar Duarte—his first fight with trainer Derrick James—but had some shaky moments along the way.
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Recently, the focus has turned to Garcia’s mental health. Garcia’s private life—much of which Garcia, with more than 10 million followers on Instagram, chooses to make public—has been scrutinized. In January he followed up a post about the birth of his son with one revealing the split from his mother. Earlier this week he posted a picture of his new girlfriend, Australian influencer Mikaela Testa, with a rambling caption about how he was preparing her to fight.
At both press conferences, Garcia appeared at times lethargic, his voice hoarse. On Thursday, when Garcia stepped to the podium to address the media, Haney quickly interjected, leading to an awkward exchange.
“What the f--- happened to your voice,” Haney said.
“I’ve been screaming for these promos,” Garcia replied.
“Stop the coke, it’s f---ing up your voice,” Haney shot back.
“I don’t do cocaine,” said Garcia, before volunteering to take a live drug test.
“What do you do?” asked Haney.
Said Garcia, “I drink and I smoke weed. And so has the majority of this room.”
All of it has raised questions. Does Garcia really want the fight? If so, is he capable of winning it? There is history between Haney and Garcia, amateur rivals who split six fights in the unpaid ranks. Haney admits Garcia gave him a standing eight-count—where a referee steps in after a fighter takes a heavy shot—the first time they met. But he’s adamant he gave Garcia a standing-eight in the last one. On paper it’s an intriguing matchup, where the skills of Haney will be tested by the speed and power of Garcia.
If it happens. In recent days, Garcia has pushed to change the date. Instead of April 20 in New York, Garcia has lobbied for the fight to move to May 4 in Las Vegas. His reasoning is sound: May 4 is a more traditional boxing date and holding the fight in Las Vegas would likely increase the live gate by $5 million. Problem is, Canelo Álvarez has a hold on that date, with Jaime Munguía and Edgar Berlanga the frontrunners to face him. Inside Haney’s team there is genuine concern Garcia may bow out.
In a sit-down with SI, Garcia insists he is in a good place. He says most of his social media posts are meant to be trolling. As for the volume of posts, he says each takes no more than a minute. He says his relationship with James is growing, with the fighter and trainer often working together multiple times a day. The animosity toward Haney, says Garcia, is real, with Garcia branding Haney as “fake,” the kind of person who says one thing to your face and another behind your back.
“Watch,” says Garcia. “I’m going to knock him the f-- out.”
It’s possible. Haney opened as a heavy favorite, per SI Sportsbook, but for Garcia this is a winnable fight. Haney has been tested by size (Prograis) and skills (Lomachenko) but never by the combination of speed and power possessed by Garcia. Haney looked brilliant against Prograis but he ate plenty of clean punches against Lomachenko and was wobbled late in his fight with Jorge Linares. One left hook by Garcia could end Haney’s night.
There’s plenty of motivation. On Tuesday, Haney mocked Garcia’s newfound friendship with Floyd Mayweather. Garcia responded by posting a video of Davis getting the best of Haney in a sparring session. Families got involved, with Bill Haney, Devin’s father and trainer, suggesting Garcia’s family rigged amateur bouts and Garcia’s father, Henry, referencing Bill’s past troubles with the law. Haney-Garcia, once a friendly rivalry, had devolved into something more.
“He don’t have the IQ, he don’t have the skills, he don’t have the heart,” says Haney. “We’ve seen him quit. When it gets hot, you quit. On April 20 it won’t be any different.”
Said Garcia, “I’m coming straight for you. It’s going to be ugly.”
In just under two months, we’ll find out.
