Haney Targets Garcia Rematch

WBO Welterweight Champion Devin Haney is eager to secure a rematch against rival Ryan Garcia in 2026.

Haney’s pursuit of the rematch comes after becoming a three-division world champion by scoring a unanimous decision win over Brian Norman Jr. this month, securing the WBO Welterweight Title. Haney has plenty of reasons to run things back with Ryan. The first fight, which Garcia initially won by majority decision, was officially overturned to a no-contest after Garcia failed a VADA test for the banned substance Ostarine.

The onus is now entirely on Garcia to beat WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios on February 21. If Garcia can overcome Barrios and secure the WBC belt, it would set the stage for a massive unification clash against Haney, offering Garcia a chance at redemption and Haney the opportunity to prove his superiority. 

“That fight is huge. I’ll be rooting for him. I want him to win so that we can get it on. I can get that redemption. I think it’s a big fight for boxing. It’s a lot of unanswered question marks there for both sides. That fight is going to happen,” Haney said 

Do We Need it?

For Haney, the rematch is absolutely necessary. Despite his undefeated record being restored, the public memory remains of him getting knocked down repeatedly. Haney was dropped three times officially, while it could arguably have been more if the referee had not deemed the other knockdowns as slips or pushes. The fight also raised doubts over Haney’s defensive skills and his ability to take a shot against someone who is of a similar size to him.

The rematch is a massive commercial event too. Garcia earned a reported $50 million from the first fight, with Haney getting $35 million. Haney may have more leverage than the first fight due to Ryan’s failed test and his status as a three-weight world champion. Garcia’s career has also been heavily criticized following the Ostarine suspension and his subsequent lackluster loss to Rolando Romero.