Devin Haney lets his emotions get the better of him as he came to face to face with fierce rival Ryan Garcia
WBC World super-lightweight champion Devin Haney (31-0, 15KO) will defend his green and gold belt to long-term rival Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20KO) on Saturday, April 20 in Brooklyn, live on DAZN.
Their relentless rivalry stretches back to 2012 in the amateurs, where the duo deadlocked at three wins each after six showdowns in a vest.
Yesterday, the pugilistic pair came head to head at the top of the Empire State building in New York. As the press looked on in their hoards, the American opponents shouted noisily in each other’s faces just inches apart, but it was the defending champion who lost his cool as he struck out at his challenger.
25-year-old Haney shoved Garcia, his right hand even connecting with his opponent’s face as his hand appeared to push his enemy across his chin, throat and chest.
Devin “The Dream” posted a clip of the altercation online, accompanied with the words “Not a conspiracy.. Ryan is a hoe! 4 days”
Not a conspiracy.. Ryan is a hoe! 4 days #TheDreampic.twitter.com/TOAdRFkFqS
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) April 16, 2024
This isn’t the first time that Haney has assaulted an opponent prior to fighting; he once pushed generational great Vasyl Lomachenko before they fought in May 2023.
That aggressive act didn’t go all too well for him, as Loma outlanded the then-undisputed lightweight champion by 124 to 110 punches, giving the defending champion a bruising boxing lesson, but was very fortunate to be able to retain his belts via a controversial unanimous decision verdict.
Both boxers, Haney and Garcia, are 25-years-old from California, although Devin and his family moved to Las Vegas to further his career many years ago.
Currently tied at 3-3, fight fans view this fight as a 50-50 affair. However, Haney is the slight favourite at the bookies with odds of 2/15, with Garcia placed at 13/2. Despite their evenness, no one is expecting a draw with odds showing at 25/1.