Much has been said about the upset – and upsetting nature – of Devin Haney’s non-defence of his WBC belt against Ryan Garcia. From the erratic build-up to the unexpected payoff, this fight has generated more buzz than any of the year so far, even with undisputed showdowns and freak-show circus fights threatening to eclipse its star.
Now, as the dust has settled on Haney v. Garcia, it is worth looking at the biggest players in the whole debacle and see where they go from here…
Sergiy Derevyanchenko vs Vaughn Alexander
Derevyanchenko is a top contender in the super middleweight division and, quite frankly, Alexander had no right sharing the ring with him. No spirit or effort could have given him the win and, as such, Alexander should keep working at a national level.
Derevyanchenko, on the other hand, definitely needs someone at his level – and a win over them too. Not anyone in the top five, but perhaps a Berlanga or a Sadjo, someone who could compete with him evenly.
Charles Conwell vs Nathaniel Gallimore
Charles Conwell has pushed himself to the fringes of the super welterweight division. With an emphatic TKO of Gallimore in the 6th, spawning from unanswered punches, Conwell has pushed himself as a contender. Gallimore, at this point, has become a measuring stick for the top fighters of his division – and should remain that way.
Conwell, on the other hand, has opened up many avenues. His focus at this point should largely be on resume-building; potentially taking on a fighter coming off a loss, such as Magomed Kurbanov, Brian Mendoza or Jack Culcay. More daringly, he could aim to take on a rising success, such as Callum Walsh or Abass Baraou.
David Jimenez vs John Ramirez
Two fighters who entered this contest with minimal hardship, Jimenez emerged from the contest with the WBA Interim World Super Flyweight title. As such, he should be next in line to face the winner of Ioka-Martinez after their July 7th bout in Tokyo.
Ramirez, with the first loss of his professional career, still has a chance at moving up the levels in future – he is clearly at national level, at least.
Bektemir Melikuziev vs Pierre Hubert Dibombe
Bektemir, the new holder of the WBA Inter-Continental Super Middleweight title, only has one blemish on his record to date, against Gabriel Rosado. He is showing promise and talent in a division brimming with it; he could burst into the top ten sooner than predicted, although taking two or three more fights on his way up could benefit him significantly. Perhaps a capable operator in need of a good win like Zach Parker could be on the cards.
For Dibombe, despite most of his fights taking place in France, he has potential to break through and, as such, could also chase a fight against someone like Callum Simpson towards the bottom of a Boxxer card.
Arnold Barboza Jr. vs Sean McComb
Rematch. This one is simple. Arnold Barboza Jr. vs Sean McComb II on neutral ground or even in McComb’s home town of Belfast. This is a wrong that McComb can easily right. Simply, Barboza lost on April 20th, despite what the scorecards say. As a true fighter, he should entertain the idea himself, anyway.
Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia
What hasn’t already been said about Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia? Garcia, be it fair not not, simply outclassed the tactical Haney on the night, as he seemed to throw all his strategy out the window to entertain a scrap with a lightning-fast, heavy-puncher like Garcia.
Haney, despite his general ringmanship, should not entertain any thoughts of a rematch against Garcia, especially if belts were on the line. Instead, he should take on his mandatory challenger in Sandor Martin, before considering a fight against other divisional belt holders, such as Teofimo Lopez or Issac Cruz.
As for Garcia, the star of the off-kilter show, the world is his oyster, providing he fully moves up a weight class. A Garcia clash against Conor Benn, as entertained on X, would certainly give him both money and a win. Another more risky money-fight could emerge against Errol Spence Jr. or perhaps even a fight for a title such as Mario Barrios and his WBC Interim title could be on the cards. Even a more out-there suggestion; a resume-building name such as Yordenis Ugas or the press-conference-built Adrien Broner could be options.
Ultimately, in the wake of Haney vs Garcia, Ryan leaves with all the cards and his direction is one many in the sport will be looking at with astute interest.