Promoter Eddie Hearn says Devin Haney was psychologically and emotionally damaged by his loss to Ryan Garcia on April 20th and has lost some of the love for the sport.
Hearn feels that the combination of the beating Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) took and the positive PED test results for Ryan has done something to him.
A Year of Healing
He predicts that Haney won’t fight for the remainder of the year and will wait until mid-2025 to try and avenge his loss to Ryan. Hearn isn’t sure what weight Haney, 25, will fight at when he does return.
The former two-division world champion Haney had been having problems making 140 since last year, so it might be wise for him to move up to 147. However, moving up to 147 could create issues for Haney because of the power of fighters in that division, and he might need help to overcome them.
“When those guys were in the ring, I’m looking at the size of Ryan Garcia. He looked like a middleweight. He didn’t even look really in shape,” said Eddie Hearn to the All The Smoke YouTube channel, talking about Devin Haney’s loss to Ryan Garcia on April 20th.
Ryan looked no bigger than Haney inside the ring on the night of the fight. Haney didn’t lose because of Ryan’s size; instead, he couldn’t take his power. Moreover, Haney’s habit of clinching frequently put him in the line of fire for Ryan’s short left hook.
Haney should have changed that habit for this fight and focused on staying on the outside. His nonstop clinching in his fights against Regis Prograis and George Kambosos had allowed him to get away with murder by nullifying their offense without the referee addressing the problem.
A Risky Rematch
“Everyone is going to be calling for the rematch with Ryan, but that won’t be until the middle of next year,” said Hearn about Haney. So are you going to stay at 140 or go to 147? You got to take the right fight. “He still wants a lot of money to fight. Devin has made a lot of money, but you’ve really got to want it.”
If Haney is going to take a fight before the rematch with Ryan, he needs to be careful to make sure he doesn’t fight someone with power. If he gets knocked out, a State Commission won’t erase the loss this time, and his rematch with Ryan will go down the drain.
“I don’t think he’s rushing back. I think he’s lost some love for the sport through what happened,” said Hearn. “He’s taken a little bit of a beating that night. Now the question is, ‘How bad do you want it?’ The minute a fighter starts fighting for money, ‘Just one more.’ They’re not the same fighter,” said Hearn about Devin.
The fact that Haney will want a big payday similar to what he got against Ryan will make it tough, if not impossible, for him to return in a non-risky fight. There are no weak opponents that Haney can fight to get a giant payday, and he’ll be forced to either take a pay cut or sit inactive until the rematch with Ryan.
The Lingering Effects of Defeat
“‘Do I still have it? Do I still want it? I’ve got $15 million in the bank. Life is good. Am I still hungry?’ Because you know, once the hunger goes,” said Hearn.
“He showed an unbelievable heart. I think the defeat is quite psychologically and emotionally damaging for Devin and I think it will take him a while to get over it. I don’t think he’ll fight again this year,” said Hearn.
If Haney is emotionally and psychologically damaged by the Ryan Garcia fight, he should forget about fighting him again because it would be too risky. Ryan will start in where he left off, batting Haney around the ring with ease.
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