When Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia stare at one another across the ring in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 20, it will be the seventh time they have done it.
They split a six-fight amateur rivalry 3-3, but when they meet in New York, it will be for Haney’s WBC super lightweight title in one of the biggest fights of 2024.
“We’ve been rivals since we were nine, 10-years-old, now it’s time to seal the deal when it counts for everything,” said Haney, as the two fighters kick-started a two-city press tour, in New York before heading to Los Angeles on Thursday.
There were moments of hostility and humor in New York, and some of it went back to their amateur days.
Devin’s outspoken father, Bill, took aim at Ryan Garcia’s dad, Henry.
“Henry Garcia was the judge, the referee, the parking attendant, I mean, he did everything in USA Boxing, am I right or wrong?” Bill said, to which Henry Garcia replied: “The bottom line is they both met in the ring like they’re going to meet [on April 20]. Did Ryan give Haney his first eight count? You tell me that. Did he give him is first eight count? He sure did.”
Devin later countered on DAZN: “I don’t know how old I was, maybe like 12, 13, we fought in Oxnard, and he is right, Ryan did give me an eight count, but our last fight, when we were 16, I gave Ryan an eight count. We was kids, so if you get hit with a good shot [you take a count], and same thing with me, if I got hit with a good shot. We were kids.”
Earlier in the press conference, Devin Haney had brought Garcia’s mother into it, too.
“I know he was trying to switch it because his mum was a judge…” said Haney, before Ryan interrupted, “The reason my mum became a judge was because we didn’t have no money.
“They would give you free hotels if you were a judge.”
Haney won their last bout in the amateurs and he will start favorite with the oddsmakers in April.
But Garcia is confident. Asked for his memories of an amateur Haney, Garcia added:
“He’s got a weak frame. That’s all I remember from those fights, every time I touched him, it looked like he was going to break. That’s all I remember.
“When I beat him [in the amateurs], he was out on his feet. He beat me by points, I beat him and [Garcia acted with wobbly legs], he was nowhere to be found.”