“Had to Push All Egos”: Bill Haney Details How Difficult It Was to Make Ryan Garcia Fight Happen for Devin Haney

Very few fights exist which have enough historical significance for the world to remember them. The bout between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia might just be one of them. On one corner we have Haney, who has been boxing since he was a child. He is technically sound and has perfect technique. On the other, we have Garcia, with his flashy knockout and body shots. Both carry a record of 3-3 against each other from their days in the amateurs. Thus, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top now.

While their fight has been confirmed as of now, it did not come without hardships. The decision came after multiple other fights failed to materialize for both fighters, eventually leaving them without opponents. Bill Haney, in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, talked about how hard it was to secure the fight against ‘KingRy’ and the Golden Boy.

Bill Haney praises Oscar De La Hoya

Ariel Helwani asked Bill about how hard it was to make the fight happen, considering all the issues that happened between his team and the Golden Boy Promotions, including a very public altercation between him and Bernard Hopkins.

Haney replied, “Hey let’s push all the politics to the side and know that Golden Boy has been, Oscar De La Hoya has been a pillar in the community representing boxing, representing the big events,” giving much credit to Oscar De La Hoya and his involvement in making the major match up happen.

He proceeded to say, “So we had to push all egos, all pride to the side. Promoters now are working together. I think we’ve been working with everyone,” explaining how both sides saw common ground and came to an understanding to make the fight happen.

Bill Haney reflected on their impressive roster of collaborators, including Bob Arum and Eddie Hearn, among others. He emphasized, “So it was only right to come, to Oscar De La Hoya, the Golden Boy himself, and tell him, listen you got Bill, you got Devin, you have Ryan, you got Henry, let’s make this thing happen. We’d be fools not to right now.” After all the back-and-forth and hullabaloo, the two teams have now set the stage for one of the most exciting matchups of the year for boxing. Now it’s anyone’s game.

As soon as the fight date was set, the first one to come out guns blazing was Ryan Garcia. He warned what was to come his opponent’s way on April 20th.

Ryan Garcia fires the warning shot

While this marks their professional debut, the duo has crossed paths numerous times in the amateurs. Their previous encounters resulted in an even split of victories, heightening the stakes for this upcoming bout. On Instagram, Ryan Garcia succinctly captured the significance: “It counts now Devin. This fight for me means everything.”

Watch This Story: Devin Haney going back and forth with Sean O Malley

He added, “Pray his dad stops this fight. He will be needed to be carried out if this fight doesn’t get stopped at the appropriate time.” His anticipation points toward a ferocious knockout. Ryan Garcia is going all in, fueled by the desire to demolish Devin Haney. But the lingering question remains: Can he truly deal Haney his first defeat?

Will Garcia be able to catch Haney off guard or will Devin Haney make easy work of Ryan Garcia? Do let us know your predictions down below.

Read More: Ryan Garcia Backs His Bodyguard Against Bill Haney’s ‘Big Tank’ Following Fierce Exchange; Sends Warning