Promoter Oscar De La Hoya doubts that a rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney will happen in 2025. Oscar feels that Haney is washed up after his loss to Ryan last April. Haney took a knock in that fight, and it’s questionable whether he can come back from the loss. De La Hoya doesn’t think so.
If Haney is washed up, it will show when or if he gets back in the ring to fight someone. Ideally, he needs to take a tuneup to ensure that his faculties are still intact. It would be a mistake on Haney’s part to take one of the top welterweights coming off a fight against Ryan.
Interestingly, Haney hasn’t said what division he plans to fight in next, but given his massive size, he should consider competing at welterweight. The trouble he had taking Ryan’s power shots last April may have had something to do with the enormous amount of water weight he had to cut to make the 140lb limit.
Life could be easier for Haney if he competed at 147, since he wouldn’t have to cut as much weight. He still had to lose a ton of water weight from the 160s, but it wouldn’t be such a massive test. For fighters who compete in divisions well below their natural size, eventually, their bodies can no longer handle the massive weight change.
Obviously, Haney’s decision to ask Ryan has a lot to do with De La Hoya’s doubts about a second fight happening. Also, Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) hasn’t shown much interest in getting back in the ring to bounce back from his 12-round decision loss to Garcia.
Former two-division world champion Haney passed on the opportunity to fight Sandor Martin recently, giving him a nice payday in a winning fight. When he chose not to fight Sandor, it was a red flag in the eyes of the fans, and his loss to Kingry still haunts him. For a proud fighter like Haney, who has had his way his entire career, it was hard to deal with mentally.
Ryan recently said he has no interest in fighting Haney again, but could change his mind in 2025 if offered enough money. If this is the best paying fight for Ryan, he won’t pass up the opportunity.
The only other fight that would pay more would be a rematch with Gervonta Davis, but that is doubtful. Tank is too busy picking the easy options, and he didn’t want to fight Ryan again with him at full strength at a catchweight of 140+.
“We have to face this frivolous process that they slapped on us, but that’s all it is, it’s a rumor,” said Oscar De La Hoya to the media on Devin Haney’s decision to sue Ryan Garcia and Golden Boy. “That’s all it is. How can you sue someone who beats the crap out of you? It just doesn’t make sense.
“What I would do is call that fighter out, get back in the ring, and beat his ass.”
“I don’t think so because I believe Devin Haney is a striking fighter,” De La Hoya said when asked if there will be a rematch between Garcia and Haney.
