Bill Haney predicted the “death” of Ryan Garcia’s career when Garcia challenges Devin Haney, Bill’s son, on April 20.
The longtime amateur rivals are set to contest Haney’s WBC super lightweight title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
After a year in which Haney, 25, recorded his finest victories, against Vasyl Lomachenko and Regis Prograis, Garcia lost for the first time, to Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Although Garcia returned from the defeat to stop Oscar Duarte Jurado, the knockout loss to Davis halted the fighter’s momentum at a time when he appeared to be entering his prime,
Garcia, 25, has become one of the world’s highest-profile fighters based on his marketability. His skills in the ring and decision making outside of it are still considered open questions. Garcia responded to the Davis loss by replacing Joe Goossen as his trainer with Derrick James, which was followed by the fighter stopping Jurado. But Garcia’s flakiness and flaunting of his drinking and smoking on social media during this press tour represents something of a pattern of odd behavior.
Bill Haney, for one, believes it to be the beginning of Garcia’s end.
“This guy and his antics,” he said of Garcia at Thursday’s press conference in Los Angeles. “it’s going to be the death of Ryan Garcia as you guys know him.
“You brought some girls with you, but they’re gonna go with us when we leave – don’t worry about that. That was your mistake.”
The Haneys have seemed genuinely befuddled by Garcia’s conduct on the press tour, but they know well what he is capable of in the ring. Haney and Garcia fought six times as amateurs, with each winning three fights.
“Ryan raised his hand [to fight Devin] when nobody else did,” Bill Haney said. “We really take Ryan Garcia serious. It’s a distraction. He’s attempting to appear as a TikToker; we know him as a 12-time amateur national champion.”
“Fifteen,” interrupted Garcia, who arguably remains Golden Boy Promotions’ most valuable asset. “True, right?”
“Fifteen,” Bill Haney conceded. “Excuse me, fifteen.
In any case, it will be Haney who is the heavy favorite on fight night.
“My son’s amazing,” Bill Haney said. “He’s the best in the world. We gonna show ‘em on April 20.”