Haney’s focus on PED: Will it affect Garcia’s rematch?

Devin Haney says a rematch with Ryan Garcia is his priority for 2025. He believes he will emerge victorious “on equal terms.” He mentioned it repeatedly in interviews Saturday, sounding like a broken record.

Revenge imperative

It is obvious that Haney sees the rematch with Garcia as a priority for him because he needs it for these reasons:

1. It’s the biggest payday
2. Reestablishes his credibility as a fighter: This would probably be a short-term thing because Haney will have problems every time he fights someone with power.
3. Keeps your career going: Again, another short-term thing. Devin is clearly a sinking ship and can only stay above water with Turki’s help for so long, as we saw with Deontay Wilder. If Haney keeps losing, Al-Shiekh won’t continue to throw him a lifeline to keep his career from sinking.

Former two-division world champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is still playing the PED card, using it as an excuse for his loss to Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) last April in Brooklyn, New York.

He probably won’t stop talking about it and probably contaminate preparing for a rematch between them, using it to rebuild his credibility with the fans who have abandoned him.

The promotion of the Haney-Garcia 2 rematch will be ugly if Devin constantly brings up Ryan’s positive test for Ostarine in every interview, using it as his misguided promotional tool. Hopefully Haney doesn’t stoop to that level, figuring fans will see him as the reason Ryan blew him out of the water last April. They won’t.

The set-up

Haney says he met with Turki Al-Shiekh in London and came up with a “plan” for 2025. Devin is expected to undertake a tune-up fight against a soft opponent in March before facing Garcia in a rematch.

However, there is a risk that Turki will choose someone too good for Haney because he could be knocked out or look bad if the fighter has any power. If Turki insists on putting Haney with a live body, his career could be over because they will finish what Garcia started.

Devin’s fighting style involves a lot of striking, frequent grappling, and moving. His fights against George Kambosos Jr. and Regis Prograis showcase Haney’s fighting style to perfection. The way Haney fought those two is his style, and it’s not very entertaining to watch, but it’s effective against that level of opposition.

Revenge priority

“We don’t know. Turki, Your Excellency, has made a plan for me and you must pay attention,” Devin Haney told the Trampling ground when asked who he will fight next in 2025. “In 2025, these fights (Ryan García and Teófimo López) have to happen. I think they will happen and like I said, I’m excited for 2025.

“Ryan Garcia,” Haney said when asked what his preference is for a fight in 2025. “That fight has question marks. It is an unfinished business. We are on a fair playing field, on equal terms; We know I’m going to come out victorious,” Haney said when asked how the rematch with Ryan would play out.

“There is no bad blood with Eddie (Hearn). If an opportunity presents itself and we can work together, then it will happen. If not, I thank Eddie for everything he has done for me. He put me in position. He gave me a chance early on and I can’t appreciate him enough for that,” Haney said.

The fights that Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn arranged for Haney in the past were against these fighters:

– George Kambosos Jr: 2022
– José Díaz Jr: 2021
– Jorge Linares: 2021