Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney might fight again later this year. The two boxers are looking at October for a rematch, eight months after their first controversial bout.
Garcia and Haney first faced off in April 2023 for the WBC Super-Lightweight World Title. That fight ended in a mess. Garcia won by majority decision at first, but he missed weight before the fight. He couldn't win the title even if he won the match. Then, things got worse when Garcia tested positive for a banned substance. The fight result changed to "no contest."
During the first fight, Garcia knocked Haney down three times. But before the match, people worried about Garcia's behavior and mental state.
"Haney is the least of my worries. If I wasn't scared to fight Tank, why would I be worried about a guy who can't crack an egg?"
Garcia said this before the fight. But after, he changed his tune:
"He even hurt me with a hook. I was like, 'damn, maybe you do got a little power.' Most definitely [he felt my power]. He got wobbled bad. I'm surprised he has such good heart, like bro I cracked him in the first round. I thought it was over, I won, easy work. And then he came out firing in the second."
Garcia, now 26, will finish his year-long suspension in April 2024. He plans to fight Rolando 'Rolly' Romero on May 2, 2024.
Haney, the current WBC Super-Lightweight World Champion, has 31 wins with 15 stoppages. He'll face Jose Ramirez on the same day Garcia fights Romero.
Both fighters have reportedly agreed to the rematch, but it depends on how they do in their May fights. If all goes well, we might see Garcia and Haney in the ring again this October.
