Devin Haney & Ryan Garcia Strike Deal to Fight April 20 in Las Vegas

Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia will fight after all.

The star fighters have finalized a deal to fight on an April 20 DAZN Pay-Per-View card in Las Vegas for Haney’s WBC junior welterweight championship. ESPN’s Mike Coppinger was the first to report the story.

Haney, a former undisputed 135-pound world champion, will fight in his third consecutive pay-per-view fight, with this being his most significant one.

The 25-year-old champion had a banner 2023 campaign, which included a close decision victory over future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko to retain his undisputed lightweight championship and a shutout win over former titleholder Regis Prograis to become a two-division world champion.

Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) will make the first defense of his 140-pound title crown against Garcia, one of boxing’s most popular stars who seeks his first world title.

Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) is one fight removed from the first loss of his professional career to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (Now Abdul Wahid) last April. The bout eclipsed one million PPV buys and amassed over $22 million at the gate.

Some say Garcia entered the bout with multiple handicaps. The 25-year-old agreed to a 136-pound catchweight with a 10-pound rehydration clause. To further complicate matters, Garcia entered the ring with a rib injury against one of the sport’s most powerful punchers. In the end, Garcia went down to a knee and stayed there for the full ten count.

Garcia, who is coming off an eighth-round knockout of Oscar Duarte in December, has had an interesting past few months. Following his win over Duarte, Garcia called out Haney.

“I’ve advised my team to contact team Haney to discuss and make the fight happen between Devin and I #GarciaHaney,” he wrote on December 19. Just over two weeks later, Garcia announced he had changed his mind and pursued a bout with WBA titlist Rolando “Rolly” Romero instead. However, Romero’s team signed a bout with Isaac “Pit Bull” Cruz instead for March 30, leaving Garcia temporarily out to dry.

Ultimately, Garcia and his Golden Boy Promotions team went back to the negotiating table and secured a bout against Haney, which could end up being one of the most high-profile fights of 2024.

The two fighters have a long history dating back to their amateur careers. However, Haney has accomplished more by a country mile to this point. But that’s not to say that Garcia can’t pull off the upset. If he does, he’ll no longer just be a fighter with 10.3 million Instagram followers; he’ll be considered one of the best fighters in the world.

Ryan O'Hara

Ryan O’Hara is an award-winning sportswriter based in Denver, Colorado. The 30-year-old has been recognized by the Boxing Writers Association of America three times for his accomplishments, with a best finish of 2nd at the 2022 awards ceremony.

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