Hearn wants Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney in early 2020

By Boxing News - 09/27/2019 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn says he wants to put a fight together between unbeaten Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney for the start of 2020. Hearn states that he doesn’t care that the fight won’t have more time to marinate to make it a bigger match-up.

Hearn wants to make it now, and he says that DAZN “loves” the idea of a Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney fight in 2020. However, it sounds like a deluded pipe dream on Hearn’s part for him to be talking of matching the 20-year-old Haney against Ryan in 2020. It’s more likely than not that Hearn is name-dropping Ryan’s name, as well as Vasiliy Lomachenko and Luke Campbell, to get attention from fans on Haney.

Haney is on board with fighting Ryan next year. The only question is will the young 21-year-old Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) and his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions be interested in making the fight with the unbeaten interim WBC lightweight champion Haney (23-0, 15 KOs).

Haney says he’s 1-1 with Garcia from when the two fought in the amateurs, and he wants to break the tie by fighting him in the professional ranks.

Hearn ready to make Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia at start of 2020

“Phil and Devin want that fight now,” said Hearn about a match between Haney and Ryan Garcia. “But I don’t know that, but it’s not that Ryan is afraid, but sometimes promoters like to build an asset they’ve got, but I believe the asset we’ve got [Haney] beats him [Ryan Garcia]. So I’m willing to make that fight now. They’ll be saying, ‘No, we can build that fight,’ but I’m confident let’s do that fight the first thing in 2020.

“DAZN LOVES that fight. We were with them this morning, and it’s a mega-fight for boxing. But I will be honest, it does get bigger, bigger and bigger, but I think 2020 is the perfect time, and it would be for a world title, I believe,” said Hearn about a fight between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney.

Garcia is scheduled to fight lightweight fringe contender Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) on November 2 on the undercard of Saul Canelo Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev on DAZN. Ryan’s fight with Duno is the co-feature bout on the Canelo-Kovalev card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Haney is fighting on November 9th against TBA on the KSI vs. Logan Paul card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Haney lists his 3 fights he wants in 2020: Campbell, Ryan Garcia & Lomachenko

“I like Ryan [Garcia], and like what he’s doing. Hopefully, we can make that fight in 2020 or 2021,” said Haney about Ryan Garcia. “In the amateurs, we tied it, and in the pros, we got to break that,” said Haney. “Luke Campbell, Ryan Garcia and Lomachenko,” said Haney in giving his target list for 2020. “I think those are the three fights that fans would love to see. I feel like people label me as a prospect, because of my age. They’re not labeling me as a contender. And they’re not looking at me where I’m at as a #1 contender, mandatory to Lomachenko; they’re not looking at me as a prospect, because of my age.

“I’ll put Lomachenko at #1, Richard Commey at #2, and I’ll put myself at #3,” said Haney when asked to rank the top lightweights in the division. “I put those guys ahead of me because they have the belts. There’s some great boxers in the UK. Right now I like Josh Kelly and I like Josh Taylor. Those are my two favorite. I think that’s a really tough fight,” said Haney when asked to give his opinion on the Regis Prograis vs. Taylor fight. “Prograis is strong, a lot of confidence, and he’s going in to win. Josh Tayor is a good boxer, and a southpaw. I don’t know [who wins]. May the best man win. I like Roy Jones. I like being compared to Floyd [Mayweather Jr.]. He’s the face of boxing, but I like Roy Jones a lot,” said Haney.

Lomachenko-Haney not looking good for 2020

Obviously, Haney’s three-fight list isn’t in the order of who he feels is the best at 135. The Campbell fight is the only one of the three [Lomachenko, Ryan Garcia and Campbell] that Haney has a shot at fighting in 2020. Top Rank has other plans for Lomanchenko, who Bob Arum has compared to a young Muhammad Ali. Putting Lomachenko in with Haney would force Arum to risk all that hard work he’s been doing in bragging about how good Loma is.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn should forget about Lomachenko for now, and put his energy into making the fights for Haney that have a shot at happening. Hearn has a good chance of matching Haney against two or more of these fighters in 2020:

  • Jose Pedraza
  • Luke Campbell
  • Jorge Linares
  • Rances Barthelemy
  • Javier Fortuna
  • Robert Easter Jr.
  • Yvan Mendy

Hearn says Haney about to become WBC champion

“He’s about to become the WBC lightweight champion,” said Hearn about Haney on Friday. “I believe this is the start of five world championship weight classes. I believe he’s that good, and has that kind of drive. We’ve got the basis for the next American superstar in boxing, and sometimes you’ve got to make sure the fighter has the drive and worth ethic to get there. That’s why I’m so comfortable with Devin. There’s no one to stop him. The only one that’s going to stop him is himself, and he won’t allow that to happen,” said Hearn.

Lomachenko will be vacating all of his lightweight titles after he unifies the division in 2020. The World Boxing Council will then elevate Haney to WBC lightweight champion. But even if the WBC orders Haney to fight one of the top contenders for the vacant WBC belt, he’s likely to win the title easily.

Haney says he’ll be fighting Luke Campbell in London in 2020

“When we fight, I’ll show you all the flaws,” said Haney about Lomachenko. “In 2020, I’m going to fight here [in London], hopefully against Luke Campbell. If not, Campbell, then somebody else, but most likely I’ll be back here fighting Luke Campbell,” said Haney.

This fight is a no-brainer for Haney next year. 2012 Olympic gold medalist Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) is with Hearn’s Matchroom stable and he’s getting up there in age. He needs to fight for world titles while he still can. Haney represents the best payday for Campbell right now. Hearn would likely stick Haney vs. Campbell on Sky Sports Box Office, and that means a nice payday for Luke.

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Last Updated on 09/28/2019