One of the biggest talking points of Saturday night’s Usyk-Verhoeven event came from the VIP section, where Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney sat within feet of each other during the show in Egypt.
Images and videos from ringside quickly spread across X, with fans focusing almost as much on the seating arrangement as the fights themselves.
The seating arrangement itself quickly became part of the conversation, with many fans asking who thought putting Ryan and Haney next to each other at a major boxing event was a good idea, given their long-standing rivalry.
Photos from ringside showed Haney sitting directly in front of Ryan as the two appeared to exchange words during the event. Saudi boxing figure Turki Alalshikh was later seen stepping between them as cameras focused on the area.
Given the visibility of the VIP section and the amount of attention surrounding both fighters, the moment quickly overshadowed parts of the event itself online.
🚨 @Realdevinhaney sit directly behind @RyanGarcia at #UsykRico 😅
🎟️ Buy USYK vs RICO HERE –>https://t.co/FoiaUucafv#UsykRico | Live now on DAZN | @RingMagazine pic.twitter.com/V24PlOjJJV
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 23, 2026
Ryan and Haney have continued to spar at each other since Garcia’s controversial majority decision victory in April 2024. Garcia dropped Haney three times that night, but the fight soured after Garcia missed weight before the fight.
Saturday’s encounter immediately created new talk of a rematch, especially with both fighters linked to Saudi-backed events and big pay-per-view plans.
The moment was also notable because the rest of the VIP area featured big names in boxing, including Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Even with Usyk defending his heavyweight title later in the night, Ryan and Haney ended up being one of the night’s biggest talking points simply because they were seated.
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Last updated on 2026/05/23 at 22:08
