Haney’s PED focus: Will it taint the Garcia rematch?

Devin Haney says the rematch with Ryan Garcia is his priority for 2025. He believes he will prevail “on a level playing field”. He mentioned it repeatedly in interviews Saturday, sounding like a broken record.

Rematch Imperative

It’s clear that Haney sees the reunion with Garcia as a priority for him because he needs it for these reasons:

1. This is the biggest payday
2. Re-establish his credibility as a fighter: This will likely be a short-term thing, as Haney is going to have problems when fighting someone with power.
3. Keep his career going: Again, another short-term thing. Devin is clearly a sinking ship and can only be kept afloat for a limited time with Turki’s help, as we saw with Deontay Wilder. If Haney keeps losing, Al-Shiekh won’t keep throwing him a lifeline to keep his career from sinking.
4. Sooner or later Turki will come to his senses and realize that Haney is just a manufactured hype job and was never that good. Once Turki sees the truth right in front of him, he will leave Haney.

Former two-division world champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is still playing the PED card, using it as the excuse for his loss to Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) last April in Brooklyn, New York.

He probably won’t stop talking about it, and he probably will pollute the build-up to a rematch between them, using it to rebuild his credibility with the fans who abandoned him.

The promotion of the Haney-Garcia 2 rematch will be ugly if Devin constantly brings up Ryan’s positive test for Ostarine in every interview and uses it as his misguided promotional tool. Hopefully Haney doesn’t stoop to that level and think that fans will see that as the reason he was blown out of the water by Ryan last April. They won’t.

The Essay

Haney says he met with Turki Al-Shiekh in London and put together a “plan” for 2025. Devin is expected to face a rematch against a gentle opponent in March before facing Garcia in a rematch.

However, there is a risk if Turki picks someone a little too good for Haney, as he could be knocked out or made to look bad if the fighter has any power. If Turki insists on putting Haney in with a live body, it could be career-ending for him, as they will finish what Garcia started.

Devin’s fighting style involves a lot of jabbing, frequent clinch and movement. His fights against George Kambosos Jr. and Regis Prograis showcases Haney’s fighting style to a T. The way Haney fought those two is his style, and it’s not very entertaining to watch, but it’s effective against that level of opposition.

Rematch Priority

“We don’t know. Turki, His Excellency, has put together a plan for me, and you must stay informed,” Devin Haney told the Pounding Ground when asked who he will fight next in 2025. “In 2025 these fights (Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez) have to happen. I think they will happen, and like I said, I’m excited for 2025.

“Ryan Garcia,” Haney said when asked his preference for a fight in 2025. “That fight has question marks. It’s unfinished business. We’re on a level playing field, on a level playing field; we know I going to be victorious,” Haney said when asked how the rematch with Ryan would go.

“There is no bad blood with Eddie (Hearn). If an opportunity comes his way and we can work together, then it will happen. If not, I appreciate Eddie for everything he has done for me. He put me in position. He gave me a chance at the beginning, and I can’t thank him enough for that,” Haney said.

The fights Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has lined up for Haney in the past have been against these fighters:

– George Kambosos Jr: 2022
– Joseph Diaz Jr: 2021
– Jorge Linares: 2021