Ryan Garcia Rules Out Romero; Wants Devin Haney Next
Ryan Garcia has shut down the prospect of a fight with Rolando Romero by revealing that Devin Haney is his next target.
Garcia called out Haney following his win over Regis Prograis to become a two-weight world champion as he picked up the WBC junior welterweight belt. Haney responded in kind after negotiations with Gervonta Davis failed to result in a fight.
Both boxers have fought each other six times in the amateurs, with their record set at 3-3. Romero, the current WBA junior welterweight champion, also put Garcia on notice. The boxer has not fought since his win over Ismael Barroso, as an undisclosed medical issue has kept him out. But Romero indicated his desire to fight Garcia in 2024.
Romero Vs. Garcia
“I’ve spent enough time away from boxing. It’s time to make the biggest PPV event of 2024. Let’s give the fans what they want, they’ve been begging for this for years. Watch Ryan duck me after I’ve been partying for the last seven months. I don’t even need a training camp to spank that ass … you’re just allergic to punchers,” Romero said
Garcia has responded by dismissing the fight for now, with Haney being the main focus.
“I’m sorry Rollies – you and your team work way too slowly and you were way too indecisive. I didn’t know if you wanted to box or vacation. Devin Haney and I are in negotiations – respect that. I’m not entertaining anything,” Garcia said
Garcia’s comments may come as a surprise. Fighting Romero would be the seemingly easier fight since Haney is the more skilful boxer. Romero’s win over Barroso was also questionable, with suggestions that the stoppage over Barroso was bad. Barroso was stopped in round nine even though the boxer was firing back on the ropes.
He was also ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. The decision to move ahead with Haney shows a boxer willing to face the best and target a world title. That should be commended, given that Garcia is coming off a recent loss to Gervonta Davis in the biggest fight of his career when he was stopped in the seventh round. The decision to then fight and beat Oscar Duarte was also praised. Now Haney has confirmed that talks are underway.
Haney Vs. Garcia
“See you soon, pal. [The Garcia fight is] something that we’re talking about. We’re in negotiations with Oscar and Ryan, Ryan’s lawyer, Ryan’s team. It could very much be what’s next … We’re still in the beginning stages of negotiations, so we’ve just got to see. But definitely, Matchroom is part of the team for sure,” Haney stated
The outstanding issues are the purse splits and the fight location. Haney mentioned Saudi Arabia as the ideal destination, allowing both boxers to get their mega payday and perform on the biggest stage. Since both boxers last fought on DAZN, putting a deal together should be much easier, making the fight more likely.
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