Devin Haney says a rematch with Ryan Garcia is his priority for 2025. He believes he will be victorious “on an even playing field.” He brought it up repeatedly in interviews Saturday, sounding like a broken record.
Rematch Imperative
It’s obvious that Hanney sees the rematch with Garcia as a priority for him because he needs it for these reasons:
- It’s the biggest payday
- Reestablishes his credibility as a fighter: This would likely be short-term because Haney will have problems every time he fights someone with power.
- Continuing his career: Again, another short-term thing. Devin is clearly a sinking ship and can only be kept afloat with the help of Turki for a limited time, as we saw with Deontay Wilder. If Haney keeps losing, Al-Shiekh won’t keep throwing him a lifeline to keep his career from sinking.
- Sooner or later, Turki will come to his senses and realize that Haney is just a manufactured publicity stunt and he was never that good. Once Turki sees the truth right in front of him, he will leave Haney.
Former two-division world champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is still playing the PED card, using it as an excuse for his loss to Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) last April in Brooklyn, New York.
He probably won’t stop talking about it, and he probably will soil setting up a rematch between them, using it to rebuild his credibility with fans who have abandoned him.
The promotion of the Haney-Garcia 2 rematch will be ugly if Devin keeps bringing up Ryan’s positive test for Ostarine in every interview, using it as his misguided promotional tool. Hopefully Haney won’t stoop to that level, believing fans will see this as the reason he was blown out of the water by Ryan last April. They won’t.
The Tune-up
Haney says he met with Turki Al-Shiekh in London and drew up a “plan” for 2025. Devin is expected to put up a concerted battle against a soft opponent in March before facing Garcia in a rematch.
However, there is a risk if Turki picks someone a little too good for Haney because he could get beat or look bad if the fighter has some power. If Turki insists on putting Haney in a live body, it could end his career because they will finish what Garcia started.
Devin’s fighting style involves a lot of jabbing, frequent clenching and movement. His matches against George Kambosos Jr. and Regis Prograis show Haney’s fighting style to a T. The way Haney fought against these two is his style and it’s not a lot of fun to watch, but it’s effective against this level of opposition.
Rematch priority
“We don’t know. Turki, Your Excellency, made a plan for me and you guys have to stay tuned,” Devin Haney told Stomping Ground when asked who will fight next in 2025. “In 2025, these fights (Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez) have to happen. I think they will happen, and like I said, I’m excited for 2025.
“Ryan Garcia,” Haney said when asked his preference for a fight in 2025. “This fight has question marks. It’s a work in progress. We’re on a fair playing field, a level playing field. We know I’m going to come out victorious. ,” Haney said when asked how the rematch with Ryan would play out.
“There is no bad blood with Eddie (Hearn). If an opportunity comes and we can work together, then it will happen. If not, I appreciate Eddie for everything he has done for me. He put me in a position. He gave me a shot at the beginning and I can’t appreciate him enough for that,” Haney said.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has lined up Haney for Haney in the past against these fighters:
– Giorgos Kamposos Jr: 2022
– Joseph Diaz Jr: 2021
– Jorge Linares: 2021
