Haney Told To Steer Clear Of A Garcia Rematch – ‘He’s Shot, Mentally’

Devin Haney has been warned against taking the Ryan Garcia rematch over fears that he will lose again.
Haney boxed Garcia in April in a defense of his WBC Junior Welterweight Title. He entered the bout as a big favorite, with Garcia seen as a massive underdog. But Garcia flipped the script as he secured a majority decision victory in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. He sent Haney to the canvas three times in a superb performance. Unfortunately for Garcia, the result became a no-contest once he failed VADA tests for Ostarine. He was subsequently banned from boxing for a year, as he could not fight professionally until April 2025.
Haney would have his undefeated record reinstated, but it did come at a price. Only Top Rank made a purse bid for his mandatory fight against Sandor Martin. Haney subsequently vacated his title as he has not been in the ring since. He recently returned to training, with Haney’s camp pushing for a Garcia rematch. Their perception is that if everything was equal, Haney would have come out victorious.
Prograis On Haney
However, the amount of Ostarine in Garcia’s system suggested that it was not enough to enhance performance. Prograis had doubts about Haney’s chances in a rematch. Regis faced off against Haney in December 2023. He lost his WBC Junior Welterweight Title as Haney won every single round to become a two-weight world champion. But Haney looked far from that fighter against Garcia. Regis warned him about stepping into the ring with Ryan again.
“I’m not going to say he’s shot. I don’t think that, but I don’t think he’s going to beat Ryan. Mentally, he knows he got beat. He dropped three times and got his ass whipped by Ryan. That’s always going to be there. No matter what they put out there, and no matter what Bill [Haney] says, that’s always going to be in the back of his mind. ‘Damn, he really beat me.
“No matter what they say about the steroids and all that type of [stuff] “You can say what you want, but he still lost. Yeah, he [Ryan] was wrong. He was using something he shouldn’t have supposed to, but how much did that really count? I don’t think Devin will be able to beat Ryan, but if he fights somebody else, I don’t know,” Prograis said
Haney’s Options
If the Garcia rematch does not happen, Haney will have to re-evaluate his future. He has a decision over whether to continue at 140 pounds or move up to welterweight. There are fights available for him at 140. He could face Teofimo Lopez, who has the WBO Junior Welterweight Title. But reports indicate that Lopez is close to finalizing a deal against Subriel Matias for a fight in February. The other opportunity is to face the new IBF Welterweight Champion, Richardson Hitchins.
Hitchins defeated Liam Paro to secure the belt in his last fight. Alternatively, a move up to welterweight offers Haney a chance to become a three-weight world champion. He could pursue a fight with the WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios. But Haney would face competition from Conor Benn, who is looking to secure that fight. Haney has plenty to consider moving forward.
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