Haney’s Title Hopes in Limbo After Garcia’s Lackluster Bout

Ryan Garcia’s glorious moment was quickly outshone when he tested positive for performance-bolstering drugs. The outcome of his first fight with Haney was changed to a No Contest.

After producing a theatrical first bout, both Ryan Garcia as well as Devin Haney delivered dismal performances at the Fatal Fury: City of Wolves episode, and now the probable rematch between Garcia and Haney is a match that has lost its public appeal.

A rematch between Ryan Garcia and his archrival Devin Haney was one of the most highly hyped matches of 2025, given the circumstances surrounding their 2024 escapade. Garcia dropped Haney three times but saw his decision win reversed to a no contest after he failed a drug test. Their heated rivalry was anticipated to crescendo into a super rematch, and to heighten prospects, they were placed in separate contests against the peculiar setting of Times Square.

The former lightweight and super lightweight titleholder (Haney) went back to the ring with a victory over former unified super lightweight titlist Jose Ramirez by unanimous verdict (119-109, 119-109, 118-110) in New York. It was a contest low on action and gradually higher in bored crowd shots, with both men ostensibly tentative to steadily pressure each other.

Thus, Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) lost his bout, while Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) emerged victorious in his match in a lackluster design. Therefore, it is safe to note that no one wants to see a Haney vs Garcia sequel. Thus, a plan conceived by Saudi Arabia's chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, ended up becoming an absolute disaster as the young icons turned in a duo of dismal performances that saw Garcia drown by Rolando "Rolly" Romero alongside Haney win in a snoozer against Jose Ramirez.

So the query is, if they don’t face off, what awaits Haney and Garcia?