Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia met six times in the amateurs, splitting the series.
The 25-year-olds said dancing is inevitable in the pros and kept their promise by agreeing to fight on April 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
However, before the deal was made official, Garcia danced back and forth, making it seem as if he had no interest in the fight at all.
After Garcia KO’d Oscar Duarte on December 2nd, he requested a duel with Rolando Romero. A week later, Haney dominated Regis Prograis to win the WBC super lightweight title, and Garcia instructed his team to secure a match with Haney.
After a highly publicized meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Garcia changed his stance again and wanted to fight Romero instead. However, Romero chose to fight Isaac Cruz, and the bout took place on March 30, ending in a KO victory for Cruz.
Unfortunately, the stars aligned once again with Haney and Garcia resuming negotiations, and a fairly painless deal was quickly worked out.
“Me and Ryan spoke on the phone a few days before the game. We tried to make the fight possible. Haney told BoxingScene and other media outlets that he had “looked at the numbers and what’s going on.”
“Hats off to Ryan.” He gave me everything I wanted during negotiations. There was never any real resistance. He agreed to everything. I agreed to everything. And the fight was easy…he agreed to the VADA test and no one opposed it. ”
Bill Haney, Haney’s father, trainer and manager, said they had agreed to split the proceeds 55-45 in favor of Garcia, including gate fees, sponsorships and pay-per-view percentages.
Devin Haney praised Garcia’s deal, but was less impressed with the level of competition Garcia faced. “Who’s the best he’s ever beaten?” Luke Campbell? Maybe a washed-up, aged Javier Fortuna. “He doesn’t have a resume,” Haney said.
Devin Haney Applauds Ryan Garcia For Easy Negotiations: ‘He Gave Me Everything I Wanted Without Resistance’ https://t.co/7W1qB9l0jG
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 6, 2024
Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia have a history of playing against each other as a team. They committed to fighting in the Professional Boxing League and fulfilled that promise by agreeing to fight on April 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. However, it seems that Garcia is not committed to fighting before the contract is finalized. After Garcia beat Oscar Duarte on December 2, he was asked to fight Rolando Romero first. Haney defeated Regis Price to win the WBC super lightweight title so Garcia could face Haney. However, it was a different story when Garcia expressed his desire to fight Romero again after meeting Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, Romero chose to fight Isaac Cruz, leaving Garcia without a dance partner. Fortunately, the accident happened and negotiations between Haney and Garcia were back on track and running smoothly. Haney praised Garcia’s cooperation during negotiations and said Garcia agreed to all of his terms, including agreeing to the VADA test. Haney’s father, Bill Haney, revealed that they agreed to split Garcia’s earnings 55-45, covering everything from ticket sales to sponsorships and pay-per-views.
While Devin Haney acknowledged Garcia’s ability to get things done, there were doubts about Garcia’s level of competition. He said Garcia hasn’t faced many great opponents, with his most notable wins coming against Luke Campbell and Javier Fortuna, who Haney believes are past their prime. Indeed, in addition to praising Garcia’s cooperation in negotiations, Haney also highlighted the rating gap between Garcia and his main opponents.
