A possible rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney is back on the table after it was announced that the two will share the same upcoming spotlight.
Talks of a rematch between boxing stars Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney appeared to be dead following Garcia's permanent ban by the WBC for using racial slurs online. But as announced by Turki Alalshikh on Monday, the two former rivals will co-headline a boxing card in May, and a rematch could come to fruition if both sides win their fights.
Alalshikh and The Ring Magazine have announced that they will hold their first US card at an unspecified date in May in conjunction with the video game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Garcia will face former WBA super lightweight titleholder Rolando Romero, and Haney will face José Carlos Ramírez at the same event.
Details about the card, including a specific date, have yet to be announced by both parties. Garcia was briefly linked to a matchup with Pitbull Cruz, but for unknown reasons the fight talks have hit a dead end.
Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images
Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney return to the May Riyadh card
Haney returns to the ring for the first time since a no-contest against Garcia last April. Originally a majority decision win for Garcia, in a fight that included three knockdowns, the fight was converted to a no contest after Garcia failed a drug test.
Since their fight, tensions between Garcia and Haney have not subsided, leading to several bizarre incidents between them after the fight. Garcia, along with Devin and Bill Haney, have gone back and forth on social media over the past year.
Last July, Garcia was expelled from the WBC for using racist slurs against black people and using hateful rhetoric toward Muslims in a social media tirade. The WBC also accused Garcia of refusing several attempts to get him help for substance abuse and mental health issues.
Talks between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney 2 reach a new chapter after recent announcement
Before the no-contest against Haney, Garcia knocked out Oscar Duarte to avenge his first career loss to Gervonta Davis in 2023. He won his first 23 professional boxing fights before losing to Davis.
Haney defeated Regis Prograis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. before the controversial fight with Garcia. He was originally rumored to face Adrien Broner on March 25 before fight talks fell through.
While the announcement of the fight doesn't mean a rematch between Garcia and Haney is inevitable, the chances of it becoming a reality are back on the table as long as Alalshikh remains in discussions with both parties. Depending on the results of their upcoming fights, Garcia and Haney could turn things around by the end of the year.
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