Today’s Los Angeles press conference between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney fell apart after Devin’s dad, Bill Haney, took a swipe at Ryan’s dad, Henry Garcia, about him wearing a toupee.
WBC light welterweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) were supposed to have been promoting their April 20th fight on DAZN PPV at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Bill and Devin seemed to have other plans.
The Spark
Devin focused on talking about alleged drug use by Ryan throughout the press conference, even when they were in the face-off.
For his part, Bill put his energy into bashing Ryan’s dad, talking about his toupee. Earlier, Bill had already remarked on Ryan’s use of shea butter for his hair, but that part was overlooked. Bill had started the talk about hair with that comment and continued to do so when he said Henry wears a toupee.
Why this was important to Bill, who knows? When Bill outed Henry for wearing a toupee, he retaliated by saying he’s got nappy hair. Devin then said it was a “racist” remark,” and the press conference got away from the promotion of the April 20th fight.
What was needed was a monitor that could control the back and forth to keep the fighters and their team on point instead of drifting off into hair and drug use.
Devin Haney: “I try to lead by example. On the other hand, we got this guy who is doing the complete opposite,” said Haney about Ryan Garcia at their Los Angeles press conference today.
Henry Garcia: “Come on, Bill. Weren’t you a pimp? When Devin Haney came to visit Ryan, he brought all these girls around him. He’s just a pimp. Once a pimp always a pimp.”
Bill Haney: “I’m showing the world what you’re supposed to do, no matter what you make choices. What you see here is the product of a guy that made a lot of bad choices, but he’s [Devin] standing right here.
“What you have in them is they’re acting like imposters. They’re a great family, the Garcias. They’ve been in boxing. He [Ryan] was a 15-time amateur champion. What you’re saying is wrong. You’re creating a narrative that is different from what we are.
“We are a father and son team that stayed down. You said all this pimp s***. I don’t respect the man over there [Henry Garcia] with a toupee over there, your husband, because he’s bringing up the bull s***. How are you going keep it real?”
Henry: “You’re a nappy-headed mother f****.”
Devin: “‘Nappy head.’ That sounds like some racist s***.”
Bill: “Yeah.”
Henry: “That’s what he’s looking like.”
Bill: “Ask him if he’s got a toupee on.”
Henry: “That’s what he’s looking like, I’m sorry.”
Bill: “Ask him if he’s got a toupee on.”
Henry: “He’s got a nappy head.”
Devin: “Us African Americans, we have more coarse hair than your Latinos, but that doesn’t make our hair nappy.”
Henry: “It’s called facts.”
Devin: “Don’t get it confused. I don’t care about all facts and what you have to say. We’re African Americans, and we have different coarse of hair. That does not mean our hair is nappy.”
Ryan Garcia: “Look, look, look, let’s just keep it moving.”
Devin: “These people are not who you guys think they are. This guy [Henry] is talking about nappy hair. In what world is that okay to talk about a black man’s hair? We’re talking about a toupee. We did not say about a black man’s hair.”
Henry: “Who cares? Let’s move on, let’s move on. You’re fighting Ryan. Stick to that, Devin. Come on. Both of you guys are professionals, stick to that. Let’s keep it real.”
Devin: “That was very unprofessional.”
