Devin Haney is set to face Ryan Garcia on April 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, but there’s a lingering question that Haney can’t shake off. It’s about an unexpected turn of events during their fight negotiations involving a jog between Garcia and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Haney, who clinched the WBC super-lightweight title from Regis Prograis last December in San Francisco, was on a collision course with Garcia. However, the fight’s negotiations hit a snag when Garcia, fresh off a victory against Oscar Duarte Jurado, showed interest in fighting Rolando Romero instead. This led to a pause in discussions until Romero’s commitment to a March 30 fight with Isaac Cruz brought Garcia and Haney back to the negotiating table.
The curious incident that Haney points to is a jog Garcia took with Mayweather early this year, after which Garcia seemed to have second thoughts about facing Haney. “He went on a jog, and then he had a change of heart,” Haney shared during the MMA Hour, highlighting the moment that added confusion to the fight’s buildup.
Despite previous negotiation setbacks, finalizing the fight turned out to be straightforward once talks resumed. Both sides showed a genuine interest in making the fight happen, with Haney noting, “It was easy because I feel if two guys wanna make a fight happen, it’s not that hard.” Although haggling over financial terms is standard, Haney described the agreement as beneficial for both, marking a career-high payday for him.
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