Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney opponents named as road to rematch begins in May
The rivals will share a fight card in the US, and if both men win, they will clash later this year
Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney’s opponents have been named ahead of their shared fight card in May, as the road to their rematch begins.
Turki Al-Sheikh, boxing’s most influential matchmaker, announced this month that Garcia and Haney will fight each other later this year, but only if they win their respective bouts at a US event in May.
Al-Sheikh has now confirmed the Americans’ opponents, with Garcia boxing Rolly Romero and Haney facing Jose Ramirez.
No date has yet been revealed, but Haney vs Ramirez will take place at welterweight, as would Haney vs Garcia 2. Meanwhile, Garcia vs Romero will take place “above the [super-lightweight] limit”, per The Ring, which is owned by Al-Sheikh.
In April 2024, Garcia dropped Haney three times en route to a decision win, but the result was overturned after “King Ryan” failed a drug test – which saw him banned for a year.
Garcia, 26, was already ineligible to take the WBC super-lightweight title from Haney, also 26, having missed weight before the fight.
As such, Haney remains the WBC champion, and he is still technically undefeated. When the “Dream” faces Ramirez, he will be fighting a former WBC and WBO super-lightweight title holder. Meanwhile, Garcia has long been linked to a bout with Romero.
Speaking to The Independent and Queensberry this month, Haney said: “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.”
During their amateur careers, Haney and Garcia fought six times, winning three bouts each.
Elsewhere on the Haney and Garcia shared card, Martin Bakole will box Efe Ajagba in an IBF heavyweight title eliminator.