Devin Haney pushed Ryan Garcia when they faced off at the Empire State Building after the boxer had disrespected his mother.
Fight week is here as both men prepare for war on April 20. Haney defends his WBC Junior Welterweight Belt for the first time, while Garcia seeks the elusive world title. The build-up was hostile from both sides. Haney has accused Garcia of being on cocaine, disrespecting his religion and now for mentioning his mother.
Garcia has mocked Haney’s association with P Diddy after the rapper’s home was raided on alleged sex trafficking allegations. With both sides trying to win the battle of the mind games, it was clear Garcia had gotten under Haney’s skin. The following clip shows Haney pushing Garcia after he asked, ‘Where’s your momma.’ Garcia looked unfazed, taunting his opponent.
Haney Pushes Garcia
Haney has a history of doing this, having pushed Vasiliy Lomachenko during the weigh-in for their fight at lightweight. The Dream was fined $25,000 for the push. Haney would walk out victorious in a controversial decision win, leaving Loma to miss out on undisputed. There are question marks over whether Haney’s latest push was a publicity stunt.
The fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, is struggling to sell. Reports stress that ringside seats cost up to $8,000, while the cheapest ticket costs $174.75. Garcia has stated the prices are too high. DAZN has reduced the PPV price for the event from $80 to $69.99, but other factors are hindering the fight.
Garcia’s pre-fight behavior may have alienated fans. He has admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking weed. His social media activity is seen as another distraction. That has created the narrative that it won’t be a competitive fight, with Haney getting no credit for beating a below-par Garcia. Garcia has blamed Haney’s side for the poor ticket sales.
Bill Haney Reacts
Garcia claimed Haney is not a big draw, only selling a reported 50,000 PPVs for his Regis Prograis fight. There are other factors, such as the variety of PPVs available. Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia and Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk have given fans more choices. Neither fighter has a connection to New York, making the fight more viable in Vegas. Garcia comes from Southern California, while Haney spends his time in Oakland, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. But Bill Haney blamed Garcia.
“If we’ve done what the best haven’t done, what are we? We’re better than the best ever. The ones that haven’t bought [tickets], aren’t sure if Ryan is about this thing. So, what better place to execute a fighter like Ryan than in New York? I don’t care how many people are there. If you do it in New York, it’s going to get around,” Bill Haney stated
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