Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney booked for boxing doubleheader as rematch talks resurface
A potential rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney is back on the table after it was announced the two will share the same upcoming spotlight.
Talks of a rematch between boxing stars Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney appeared dead following Garcia’s permanent ban by the WBC for using racial slurs online. But as announced by Turki Alalshikh on Monday, the two former rivals will co-headline a May boxing card, and a rematch could come to fruition if both sides win their bouts.
Alalshikh and The Ring Magazine announced they’ll hold their first USA card on an unspecified date in May in collaboration with the video game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Garcia will face former WBA super lightweight titleholder Rolando Romero, and Haney will square off with José Carlos Ramírez at the same event.
Details regarding the card, including a specific date, have yet to be announced by both parties. Garcia was briefly linked to a matchup with Pitbull Cruz, but for unspecified reasons, fight talks have hit a dead end.
Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney return on May Riyadh card
Haney returns to the ring for the first time since a no-contest against Garcia last April. Originally a majority decision win for Garcia, in a fight that included three knockdowns, the fight was switched to a no-contest after Garcia failed a drug test.
Since their fight, tensions haven’t cooled off between Garcia and Haney, leading to several bizarre incidents between them after the bout. Garcia, along with Devin and Bill Haney, have gone back and forth on social media over the last year.
Last July, Garcia was expelled by the WBC for using racial slurs against black people and using hateful rhetoric toward Muslims in a social media rant. The WBC also accused Garcia of refusing several attempts to get him help for substance abuse and mental health-related issues.
Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney 2 talks hit new chapter after recent announcement
Before the no-contest against Haney, Garcia knocked out Oscar Duarte to avenge his first career loss against Gervonta Davis in 2023. He won his first 23 professional boxing fights before the Davis loss.
Haney defeated Regis Prograis, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and George Kambosos Jr. before the controversial bout with Garcia. He was originally rumored to face Adrien Broner on March 25th before fight talks stalled.
While the fight announcement doesn’t mean that a Garcia vs. Haney rematch is inevitable, the chances of it coming to fruition are back on the table, as long as Alalshikh remains in talks with both parties. Depending on the results of their upcoming fights, Garcia and Haney could run it back by year’s end.
