Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is gearing up for his coveted tango in the ring against ‘KingRy’ Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs). While boxing aficionados have their eyes glistened in anticipation, it should be mentioned that this is a rivalry that goes back to their amateur days. Haney recently opened up about how his loss to Garcia was a wake-up call.
Haney was recently a guest on “Off the Cuff” by DAZN Boxing. He had previously fought Garcia at the junior Golden Gloves during their amateur days. Talking about the fight, he mentioned that his first introduction to Garcia was on YouTube. And that was when he chanced upon the fact that ‘KingRy’ was a Silver Glove.
“I didn’t have that many fights, didn’t have much experience, and Ryan Garcia had a lot of experience. He had a big following, the Latinos, and we fought at a mosque, so all that. But it was the whole region; they knew Ryan Garcia. So, they were going crazy for him,” he said. Haney added that he was a fairly unknown boxer then, and fans were certain that Garcia would easily demolish him in the fight.
While he did not emerge victorious, Haney gave an impressive performance during the fight. “It was a good fight. Ryan won the fight, so that’s when it woke me up to the amateur boxing scene. People started to know me; people started to think, ‘Oh okay, that was the guy that put up a great fight,” he said. Haney further mentioned that the experience played a major role in building his resilience as a fighter. And, in turn, ensured his success as a boxer.
“If He Dies, He Dies”
It sure looks like the Haneys are out for blood. During the recent face-to-face at the Empire State Building, Haney’s father, Bill Haney, threatened Garcia with a few direct threats and even mentioned that he would be sending his son to “kill” Garcia. “I’m sending him to go kill him. You disrespect the country; you disrespect the people; you disrespect a religion – you will be sentenced, and I’m sending my son to go kill him,” the older Haney said.
Haney also added that if that isn’t something that fans don’t wish to see, then they should avoid watching the fight. Moreover, he even gave him an Ivan Drago-esque warning. “Like Drago said in Rocky, if he dies, he dies. He disrespected boxing, and he disrespected people. He disrespected the sport, and if he dies, he dies, just like Drago said. This ain’t a game. I’m sending my son to go kill him,” he said.
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