The former interim champion says Devin Haney would defeat the unified junior middleweight champion, a prediction that quickly divided boxing fans
Ryan Garcia has delivered a surprise verdict on one of boxing’s biggest fantasy fights, predicting Devin Haney would beat unified junior middleweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. The outspoken contender shared the opinion on social media, immediately triggering debate over a matchup many view differently.
“You guys would be surprised, but Devin would actually beat Boots,” Ryan said on X.
The opinion stands out because Ennis is widely viewed as one of the sport’s most dangerous fighters after moving up from welterweight to capture the WBA and WBO 154-pound titles. Haney, meanwhile, has spent the majority of his career at lightweight and junior welterweight before recently moving to welterweight.
Ryan’s relationship with both fighters adds extra interest to the prediction. He fought Haney in 2024, dropping him three times before the result was overturned to a no contest following Ryan’s positive drug test. He has also been linked to Ennis in the past, but no serious negotiations have materialized.
Ryan’s prediction also benefits him personally. If Haney were ever to beat a fighter of Ennis’s stature, it would inevitably make Ryan’s own performance against Haney in 2024 look even stronger. The comment also keeps attention on the possibility of a rematch between the two, even though Haney is expected to remain occupied with other major fights before any reunion becomes realistic.
The post quickly created disagreement from fans, many arguing Ennis’ size, power and pressure would be too much for Haney. Others questioned Ryan’s prediction, insisting Ennis would overwhelm the former two-division champion.
Neither Haney nor Ennis has responded publicly to Ryan’s prediction.