Devin Haney: ‘I want to prove to myself that Ryan Garcia took nothing out of me’

Interview: The WBC champion spoke to The Independent during a rare trip to London, as he plots his return to the ring after last year’s messy saga with Garcia

Thursday evening brought the surprising revelation that Devin Haney had just landed in London, with the intention of holding an open workout in the capital. And on a frigid Friday, in a warehouse-like boxing gym in Canning Town, a crowd of committed fans shifted from foot to frozen foot, awaiting the American’s arrival.

British boxers Derek Chisora and Anthony Yarde, acquaintances of Haney, had already stepped out to speak to fans and the media, but a feeling of relief usurped the cold when the WBC super-lightweight champion finally emerged through a curtain, smiling.

WBC super-lightweight champion is still the status Haney holds, despite last year’s messy saga and brutal encounter with Ryan Garcia. Against the odds, Garcia – whose pre-fight behaviour elicited genuine concern for his mental health – beat Haney, dropping the champion three times. Yet just as there was pre-fight drama, there was post-fight chaos, when Garcia was revealed to have failed a drug test.

The American, 26 like Haney, was already ineligible to take the WBC belt from his old amateur rival, having missed weight for the fight. Now he was also denied victory, as his win was overturned to a No Contest.

That leaves Haney still unbeaten, still champion, but in a strange spot. His bout with the now-banned Garcia took place last April, and “The Dream” – as fans know him – remains without a comeback fight. The years 2021, 2022 and 2023 brought Haney two wins each (including a pair of clinics against George Kambosos Jr in the Australian’s home country, and a narrow win over Vasiliy Lomachenko), as he became undisputed at lightweight before moving up and taking the WBC strap at 140lb.

Now, however, the American is in a rare phase of inactivity. But he sees the upside.

Devin Haney during his overturned loss to Ryan Garcia in April 2024 (Getty)

“It’s actually been good,” he told The Independent. “It feels good to take some time away from the ring, let my body heal, recover, spend time with my family. I just had a baby, it was a blessing that my time away from the ring [coincided with that], but now I’ve got that itch and urge to be back. I’m ready.

“Right after the fight [with Garcia], I wanted to get back in the ring instantly, but I had to take time off to heal, recover, decompress. It was a much-needed break from the sport, it was a good experience for me, [but] I don’t think I’ll ever take this long away from the ring again – until I put the gloves down and it’s done.”

Garcia’s ban ends in April, and a rematch has been mooted since last April, but Haney is eyeing a March return. Compatriot Adrien Broner, 35, is among the rumoured opponents – but nothing has been decided, Haney insists.

“We don’t have any specific opponent in mind, really,” he said. “We’ve been looking at a few different guys, but nobody is set in stone.” Turning to a representative from Queensberry Promotions, he added: “I want to make big fights happen, get back everything I lost in that fight [with Garcia], and more.

“I want the world to see I’m still a force to be reckoned with, I’m still one of the best fighters in the world, and that fight took nothing out of me. That’s important for me to prove to the world, prove to myself.”

Haney celebrates retaining the undisputed super-lightweight titles against Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2023 (Getty)

That statement suggests a degree of doubt in Haney – however slight. That does not chime with the American’s usual demeanour, nor that of his father and coach Bill, who was also present at Peacock Gym on Friday. Bill would tell you his son is still a pound-for-pound talent (The Independent’s rankings agree) and must ensure Devin performs like one next time out, no matter who stands across from The Dream.

“I mean, it’s just something that I’m used to,” Haney told The Independent, of his working relationship with his father. “My dad has been in my corner since I was a young kid, so it’s just a unique voice that I hear in that ring. No matter how many fans are in there, I hear my father’s voice, because I’ve been hearing it for so long.”

Bill’s toughest test yet, one would imagine, would come in coaching his son in a rematch with Garcia. While Haney and Garcia went 3-3 as amateurs, and while the latter’s professional win over Haney was overturned, “King Ryan” feels he has one over on his old rival.

Haney needs to erase any doubt about his superiority over Garcia. He must prove that Garcia’s failed drug test and failed weigh-in were the only decisive factors in their last fight. The rematch would be one of the biggest fights of 2025, built on an even more intriguing dynamic than its predecessor. Now, we wait.