BOXING
Will there be a rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney? What we know so far
Garcia has offered to face Haney again after his win in April was tainted by a positive doping test.
Shortly after Ryan Garcia’s victory against Devin Haney on 20 April, it was announced the Mexican-American boxer had tested positive for doping. Tests carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) found the 25-year-old had performance-enhancing drug ostarine in his system the day before and the day of the fight. Garcia’s victory was immediately called into question, while Haney demanded his opponent be punished.
Ryan Garcia offers Devin Haney rematch after positive drug test
In an attempt to clear his name, “King Ry” asked to be retested, and has now also offered a rematch to Haney, who has stated he has no intention of facing Garcia again.
“Devin f*** it let’s run it again. If you feel you were cheated, we can run it again. I’ll only eat oysters for the training camp, and I won’t sleep,” the Californian-born fighter somewhat mischievously wrote on his X account.
What did Haney say about fighting Garcia again?
Despite Garcia’s words, the chances of it actually happening appear very slim. Initially, Haney had asked for a rematch due to Garcia missing the weight by three pounds for their last bout, which meant Haney’s WBC super lightweight championship belt wasn’t on the line. However, everything has changed since “The Flash’s” positive test.
Speaking to ESPN, Haney had this to say: “Honestly, I’m not too interested in it. During the build-up, we’ve seen a lot of interesting things from him. We’ve seen his character, we’ve seen the guy cheat, we’ve seen the type of person he is. I don’t see myself ever getting back in the ring [with him], but I’m a fighter. I’m speaking right now how I fee, but we never know what the future holds. Although he put my life at risk. He showed that he will do whatever it takes to win, even cheat”.
Additionally, promoter Eddie Hearn demanded García be suspended from the sport for life following the positive test results. If the Matchroom Sport chairman gets his wish, a potential rematch will certainly never happen.