Just a month ago, the rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney stood as one of the most anticipated fights of 2025. Fans and analysts alike were eager to see how the drama between the two would play out in the ring once more. But now, that excitement has hit a roadblock—Bill Haney’s latest comments have cast serious doubt on whether the rematch will happen at all.
Back in April, ‘King Ry’ shocked the boxing world by dropping Devin Haney three times en route to a majority decision victory in New York. However, the win was short-lived—Garcia later tested positive for Ostarine, leading to the result being overturned to a no-contest and earning him a one-year suspension from the sport.
Garcia made his return on May 2nd, stepping back into the ring against Rolando Romero following his ban. Despite being the favorite, Garcia lost the fight to Romero via unanimous decision after being dropped in the second round. Meanwhile, Haney managed to steal a unanimous decision win with his lackluster performance against Jose Ramirez.
May 19, 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, United States: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – May 19: Devin Haney weighs in for his 12-round main-event Undisputed Lightweight championship bout against Vasilly Lomachenko at TopRank on ESPN – Haney v Loma at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada United States – ZUMAp175 20230519_zsa_p175_092 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx
Garcia’s loss caused the previously planned rematch with Haney in October to be in limbo. Now, Bill Haney seems more interested in securing other opponents for his son. “That was a fluke on the 20th of April,” Bill Haney said about the Garcia-Haney fight. “We got eight other guys mixed in there. [Jaron] ‘Boots’ Ennis is in there at some capacity. Conor Benn is in there.”
Bill Haney continued, “Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis, Richard Hitchens. You got Mario Barrios, you got Brian Norman.” It’s worth noting that Devin Haney had sued Garcia in order to secure the rematch, but now they seem ready to move on. Regardless, since the fight on May 2nd in New York, Devin’s corner has also pursued a fight against Teofimo Lopez.
However, ‘The Takeover’ Lopez has his eyes set on Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis at welterweight, leaving Devin Haney short on viable opponents. Despite Bill Haney floating a long list of potential names, options are thinning, largely due to Haney’s underwhelming recent performance. But Shakur Stevenson believes he has the perfect solution to that problem.
Shakur Stevenson shares advice for Devin Haney
Stevenson believes there’s one key element that’s stopping Devin Haney from giving his best during a fight. What’s that? Confidence, of course. Following his return fight against Jose Ramirez on May 2, Haney outboxed his opponent but failed to impress many with his cautious approach and low punch output.
Sport Bilder des Tages July 14, 2019 – Newark, New Jersey, USA – SHAKUR STEVENSON celebrates after defeating ALBERTO GUEVARA in a featherweight NABO Title bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Boxing 2019 – Shakur Stevenson Defeats Alberto Guevara by 3rd Round KO – ZUMAp109 20190714_zaf_p109_012 Copyright: xJoelxPlummerx
Meanwhile, Stevenson, who observed Haney’s performance closely, offered a measured critique. “I think that he just needs to get a little more confident,” Stevenson told reporters. “If he gets his confidence back to 100% after what happened to him, you can tell he’ll be in a good position.”
That said, it appears what was previously one of the more anticipated fights of 2025 has now faded into irrelevance, as Devin Haney moves on to his next challenge. Would you still want to watch the Garcia-Haney rematch?
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