Haney and Garcia first fought in April 2024. Garcia won on points, but the result was later changed to a no contest after he failed two drug tests. He also missed weight before the fight, making him ineligible for the WBC super-lightweight title.
Garcia got a one-year suspension for the failed tests. He's set to return against Rolly Romero in Times Square in May 2025. Haney will fight Jose Ramirez on the same card.
Shields believes Haney is the better fighter and expects him to win if they meet again. She shared her thoughts with Fight Hub TV.
"Devin is so much better than me man. As far as character. Every time I see Ryan I would have fought him. 'You used drugs to cheat against me, it happened on national TV, you mocked me, you laughed about it. You didn't take any accountability.'"
The two-time Olympic gold medalist hopes for a fair fight next time.
"If that was to happen to me I would fight that person every chance I got. In the rematch I hope that Ryan goes through VADA testing like Devin and they can have a clean fight and we can see who the better fighter is."
Shields thinks the first fight might have long-lasting effects on Garcia.
"I feel the damage is already done. It was 12 hard rounds. He got knocked down a lot. He took a very bad beating and he had to deal with the aftermath of it. I don't look at it as just a fight, I look at what fighters go through after a fight."
She praised Haney for how he's handled the situation.
"I have to give a lot of respect to Devin because he still walks around like he's that guy which he should, but I don't know if I would still have the same confidence like that if something happened to me."
In another interview with The Main Event, Shields said she's always thought Haney was the better fighter and believes he'll prove it "on an evening playing field."
If both fighters win their upcoming bouts, we could see the rematch before the end of 2025. The boxing world will certainly be watching.