Haney Denies Rumors Garcia Broke His Jaw – ‘I’m Ok, Fought Like A True Champion’
Devin Haney has addressed his loss to Ryan Garcia, speaking out for the first time.
Haney entered the fight as an undefeated WBC Junior Welterweight Champion and a two-weight world champion. While Garcia was not allowed to fight for the title after missing weight, Haney was expected to put on a master class. The worries over Garcia’s antics before the fight, with admissions of drinking and smoking weed, suggested Ryan was not focused on the fight.
However, the first round set the tone for the rest of the fight. Garcia clipped Haney with a left hook, sending him backwards. The same theme followed as Garcia dropped Haney in rounds seven, ten and 11. Ryan secured a majority decision, which arguably should have been unanimous. After the fight, there were suggestions Haney had broken his jaw. The Dream has denied those claims, as he set his sights on bouncing back.
Haney Reacts
“I have not broken anything. Btw the way, like I said, I’m OK…Alhamdulillah Allah is the perfect planner he makes no mistakes, Fought like a true champion. Got up off the canvas & kept fighting. I am 100% ok & would love to do it again while we both make weight,” Haney said
Nevertheless, a rematch is unlikely to happen. The one-sided nature of the fight has reduced that possibility. The same applied when Terence Crawford stopped Errol Spence Jr. last year to become the first Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the four-belt era. The demand to see the rematch was not there, as terms were not agreed.
Garcia is also the A-side, meaning the terms for any rematch could be heavily in his favor. There is also the perception that Haney needs to rebuild himself before there is enough interest to see the rematch happen. Before the Haney-Garcia fight, both men made it clear that there was no rematch. The fight was meant to be for all the marbles. Based on his current comments, Garcia’s focus is not on a rematch since he cannot see himself fighting at 140.
Garcia Responds
“I’m not doing 140. I’m going 147… I never even technically fought at 140. I fought every time at 143. My body can’t literally go lower than 143. It’s impossible. I tried every technique. Can’t do it. I had a vision to fight [Sebastian] Fundura at 154 [pounds].
“I don’t know why, I just feel I could knock him out. I know that’s really, really random. I just feel like I could get the title at 154. I fought guys that big before and I’ve knocked them out in sparring. Cold, slept them. I want to do it. Shout out Fundura, no disrespect,” Garcia stated
Haney is still the WBC Junior Welterweight Champion after the WBC confirmed they would not make the title vacant even though Devin lost, given Garcia’s missed weight. However, that means The Dream must comply with his mandatory obligations. Currently, that would be the WBC mandatory Sandor Martin. That is not a big fight, meaning Haney will struggle to sell that fight on his comeback. Haney could vacate the belt, but that would reduce his pulling power since he would have no title to bargain with.
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