TIMES SQUARE-OFF
The embarrassment that came from that – all those memes, all those tweets, all the social media – this new, young generation, they follow that. That sticks with them. That either brings some fire in him or it could actually affect him.” Haney is saying all the right things – that it took a bigger fighter on PEDs to take him down, that the past is the past, that everything happens for a reason, that he understands the mistakes he made against Garcia. One error, according to Bill Haney: He allowed the hook in the first round to knock him off his game. He engaged the more powerful Garcia too much after that, intent on returning what he had taken. That, Bill Haney said, played into the opponent’s hands. Devin
after his setback. Devin Haney understands that fans want to see how he performs after the Garcia debacle. “I know a lot of people will be watching,” he said. “They want to see how I recovered from the Ryan fight, because I took damage in that fight. A lot of people want to see if I’m the same Devin Haney, a better Devin Haney or whatnot. I know I’m better. Now it’s up to me to prove that to the world, to the people watching.” Garcia? He initially didn’t want a rematch with Haney. His promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, said a second fight wasn’t necessary, because the first one was conclusive, even though DeLuca had the fight even.
This is a big opportunity on the main stage. So I have to be sharp and prepared. … I want to be great. I always wanted to fight the best fighters in the sport. As far as my problems outside the ring, I’ve always had those problems. I don’t know who else struggles with that. That’s just something I’m struggling with. I want to show everybody that you can come back from anything. I want to show my dedication to the sport and be a true professional. “I came here to change that. This is the first fight to get respect back and prove to everybody that [the victory over Haney] was no fluke. And I’m ready to do it.” And, of course, he’ll be paid handsomely in the process. So will
should’ve done what he does best from beginning to end, which is to box. That might give fans an idea of what to expect in the second fight, assuming it happens. “I had to get over it to get better,” said Devin. “I had to acknowledge what happened
Haney. That’s the payoff for both fighters: The drama in and after the first fight will almost certainly lead to gaudy pay-per-view numbers, which could translate to high eight- figure paydays for both men. And if the second fight is compelling, a third fight could potentially make their wallets burst.
It’s been a year since the first Garcia-Haney fight, enough time for the fighters and their teams to fully digest what happened.
Garcia-Haney fight, enough time for the fighters and their teams to fully digest what happened. Haney was asked during his recent interview what he thinks of now when he reflects on the worst experience of his boxing career. He didn’t have to think a second to come up with an answer. “The PEDs,” he said, “The PEDs. That was the worst thing about it. At the end of the day, every time we step into that ring, I could be the winner or I could be the loser. I understand that. And I’m OK with it. I just want to be on a level playing field. I want it to be a fair fight. I want it to be done the correct way for me to fully acknowledge a loss.” Haney said “it drove me nuts” in the following weeks. “I felt like I lost a lot at that time. And I was cheated.” Did he lose a lot? After all, we know now that he fell to an opponent who was considerably bigger and juiced, whether it was intentional or accidental. And the NYSAC ruling allowed him to maintain his perfect record. Or does it come down to this: We saw what we saw, and we’ll never forget it, drugs or no drugs.
– has taken out of him, if anything. Some fighters don’t bounce back from such a setback. Donald Curry seemed unbeatable until he was stopped by Lloyd Honeyghan in 1986. He was 9-5 the rest of his career and never approached his previous heights. Fernando Vargas was a diminished version of himself after Felix Trinidad beat him up in 2000. The same for Meldrick Taylor after his last-second KO loss to Julio Cesar Chavez in 1990. Naseem Hamed, devastated by his one- sided loss to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001, fought once more and then retired. The list goes on. Could Haney suffer a similar fate? Or could he use the setback as a learning experience from which to grow as a fighter? “Beatings take a little bit from a fighter,” said Sergio Mora, a television commentator and former 154-pound titleholder. “Every time a fighter goes through a war, he leaves a little bit of himself in that ring. You hear it all the time in boxing. Devin Haney is not going to get over that embarrassment. Forget the beatdown.
Ring 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez meets unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza.
and, you know, at the end of the day realize what my flaws were. There were mistakes I made in the fight that I needed to understand and correct. That’s what I’m doing. Like I’ve said, I’m a better overall fighter and a better person because of this. “It’s in the past. Now I have a new opponent in front of me who is looking to win. So I can’t dwell on the past. I have to keep my head up and look ahead.” Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) is coming off a close but unanimous decision loss to Arnold Barboza Jr. in November, but he’s no pushover. He is a 2012 U.S. Olympian and former unified 140-pound titleholder whose other loss came against a prime Josh Taylor. Bill Haney said Ramirez was chosen because of his similarities to Garcia. He’s tall (5- foot-10, an inch taller than Garcia), they both had strong amateur backgrounds, he fights aggressively and he has some punching power. He should also provide an excellent gauge of Haney’s mindset
However, he had a change of heart after Haney sued Garcia in September for battery, fraud and breach of contract, citing the performance enhancer. Garcia agreed to the rematch if Haney would drop the suit. The litigation was paused on January 15, after which the parties came to terms on a second fight. Garcia was unusually subdued at the New York news conference to kick off the May 2 promotion. Host Doug Fischer suggested during a question-and- answer period that there might be bad blood between Garcia and the equally brash Romero (16-2, 13 KOs), with whom he once had a spirited sparring session. Garcia wouldn’t bite. Instead, he seemed to acknowledge that, at 26, it might be time to take a different path. Are we witnessing a new, more mature Ryan Garcia, one who will make weight and fight on a level playing field? “I’m here to do my job. Set up that rematch,” he said. “I’m not overlooking him at all. I know he comes to fight.
Bill Haney would never have agreed to take the first fight with Garcia if he had even an inkling that Garcia had a banned substance in his body. He loves his son. At the same time, facts are facts: A wild fight with a crazy backstory is good business. That’s not lost on the elder Haney, who is also his son’s manager. An opportunity to right a wrong and make a fortune at the same time is all the Haneys can ask for. “We have a strong faith in Allah,” he said. “And we know that God makes no mistakes. If we had wiped [Garcia] out [in the first fight], which everyone expected Devin to do, a trilogy wouldn’t be on the table right now. I don’t think [Devin would] be getting that kind of money, as well. … When things are good, they’re good. And when things are bad, they’re good. “And the silver lining is that a lot of the press, a lot of people who now know who Devin is are going to be to see what he does the next time out.”
Haney wouldn’t address the notion that Garcia exposed his limitations, pointing only to the PEDs. His father and trainer, Bill Haney, bristled at the use of the “E” word, particularly because his son refused to stay on the canvas and fought bravely until the end. “He definitely got exposed,” the elder Haney told The Ring, referring to his son. “He was exposed as a warrior. He got back up when a lot of other guys would’ve jumped through the ropes and gotten out of there. Yeah, he was exposed. He’s super talented, tremendously skilled. And he also fights with a lot of heart, like a warrior. In that way, he did get exposed. “I couldn’t be more proud of him. The guy showed he can fight through adversity.” An important question is what that adversity – the brutal knockdowns and embarrassing loss for all the world to see
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