Eddie Hearn Questions Devin Haney Rematch After ‘Bizarre’ Ryan Garcia Fight

The Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) vs. Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) rematch might be in shambles.

Garcia and Haney recently faced Rolando Romero and Jose Ramirez respectively at Times Square on May 2. While Haney and Garcia emerged victorious, both fights were rather lacklustre affairs, with the fighters performing as mere shadows of their former selves. And these performances have undoubtedly left Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn pondering the viability of pitting them against each other again.

Talking to Chris Mannix, Hearn opened up about fight night, initially delving into his thoughts on Haney looking “petrified” during the fight.

“Devin had a lot of demons, but he didn’t do a very good attempt at masking them. I was getting messages from the first round, saying, ‘Devin looks petrified,’” he said. “Devin moved like a hare. It was frantic. Actually, when he held his feet in the few times that he did, he hurt Ramirez repeatedly. I felt like with his size, if he had held his feet, he’d have 100% stopped Ramirez in there.”

Hearn then turned his attention to the Garcia fight. And let’s just say that it really looked like he was trying hard to hold back while making his comments.

Calling the fight “bizarre”, Hearn mentioned that neither Garcia nor Romero were giving the fight their best.

“Then we moved on to Ryan Garcia, which was bizarre. No one really did anything. I don’t know what he was doing. Was it just that he got dropped? Derrick James was telling him the right things to do, but he never really tried,” he said. “It was a weird fight. Haney was getting in the ring after to do the face-off. You’ve got the big rematch now. The rematch is in tatters. It’s nowhere near the value that it was.”

“They’re Not Killers”

Both Garcia and Haney were known for their exceptional drives and showmanship, both of which were sorely missing on fight night. Talking on the same interview, Hearn revealed that both fighters have to prove themselves before being pitted against each other.

“You’re not going to be screaming to see both guys anytime soon. They’ve got to go out and put a performance together. It’s the entertainment business,” he said. “The thing about Ryan and Devin is, they’re not killers. You got to have the mentality, but it was disappointing on that grand stage.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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