Months after he contemplated legal action, Devin Haney finally followed it up, filing a lawsuit against Ryan Garcia. Several reports have confirmed the former undisputed lightweight champion has sued Garcia for compensation over ‘battery, fraud, and unjust enrichment’. The move follows the saga that emerged since their April 20 fight. At New York’s Barclays Center, ‘KingRy’ knockdown ‘The Dream three times to secure a majority decision win.

But the story turned on its head as reports of Ryan Garcia failing to clear the fight’s drug tests emerged. The Athletic Commission suspended the star boxer for a year and levied a slew of financial penalties. The match decision was overturned to a no-contest. Devin Haney too had been largely out of the ring, though rumors of a potential return have emerged off late. However, it seems not everyone is on board with the light welterweight ‘champion in recess’ latest step.

What need did it serve?

First, let’s hear what noted boxing insider Rick Glaser had to say. The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame inductee tweeted, “After that lawsuit #DevinHaney filed against #RyanGarcia for fraud, battery, and unjust enrichment, #BillHaney should never ever again talk about street cred.” Criticizing Bill Haney, Glaser remarked that with the legal action, his credibility in the fighting community has taken a serious hit.

Likewise, it’s not the proudest of the moments for Devin Haney either. The reality, according to Rick Glaser, is that Ryan Garcia punished Haney with a first-career defeat. ‘The Dream’ simply didn’t have answers to Garcia’s deadly left hooks. The father-son duo, Glaser felt, could be out of touch with the situation and needed to face facts. Ideally, they should have accepted the outcome of the fight and moved ahead. He opined, “Instead, file a lawsuit resulting from the competition of #Boxing; they aren’t winning that lawsuit. That’s an act of desperation by the Haney’s.” 

Then Gervonta Davis‘ trainer, Calvin Ford, also doesn’t believe the lawsuit will hold any water. Both sides had consented to a mutually binding agreement. It restricts them to the terms of the fight and any dispute arising from it. “He (Haney) got paid for Garcia being overweight, and Garcia got suspended, so he (Ryan) has already been found guilty,” said Calvin Ford while speaking on ‘The Rize Podcast’.

The ideal recourse, according to Calvin Ford, would have been for the two to get back in the ring and fight in the ring fair and square.

Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney: A Few Personal Insights

Needless to say, the posts have received an array of responses falling on either side of the fence. On his part, Ryan Garcia, through an Instagram post, said, “I’m being sued for doing my job 😂😂😂.” Calling the lawsuit ‘the finale’ and how the dramatic twists and turns of the fight made it a Netflix documentary, Garcia said, “Your honor, he simply struggles with left hook syndrome.”

But then, on a serious note, Devin Haney’s father, while speaking with ESPN, pointed out how the legal measure has more to do with the sport of boxing. He said, “It’s not just about Devin, not about the championship, not about the s— that he did; it’s about the sport and what’s right and what’s wrong.”

The issue is surely going to divide the fans. Yes, based on what happened, Devin Haney might have every right to seek a remedy for his distress. But then, at the other end of the spectrum, as coach Calvin Ford stated, would a rematch have made more sense? Where could he have beaten Ryan Garcia in front of cheering crowds and cemented his legacy unequivocally?

How do you foresee the outcome of the Devin Haney lawsuit against Ryan Garcia?