Devin Haney Prepares for Title Defense Against Rival Ryan Garcia in New York City
Devin Haney, the reigning WBC super-lightweight champion, is eagerly anticipating his upcoming boxing match in New York City. On Saturday, he will defend his title against his long-standing rival, Ryan Garcia, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Haney’s journey to the top has been marked by a series of impressive victories. In 2022, he became the undisputed lightweight champion with successive wins over George Kambosos Jr. in Australia. He then successfully defended his titles against Vasiliy Lomachenko in Las Vegas in May 2023 before moving up to 140lbs, where he dethroned Regis Prograis in a one-sided victory in San Francisco seven months later.
Now, Haney is set to fight in New York for the first time since September 2019, and he is thrilled at the prospect.
“Oh, it’s a dream come true,” the 25-year-old champion said. “Inshallah. I thank Allah for it. I dreamed of being on these stages, and now I’m here. What better way than New York City – the megaphone of the world? Where all eyeballs – everybody – can watch here, and see this greatness that I have?”
Haney is embracing the build-up to the fight, stating, “I love fight week. That’s the fun part. It’s almost time for me to shine and show the world everything that I’m capable of.” He added, “I’ve seen a lot of fighters coming up as a young kid, in fight week and doing interviews, and I wanted to be here one day. And now my time has come, and I want to embrace it all. I love the process; the build-up.”
Despite the significance of the event, Haney remains unfazed by the pressure.
“I don’t really believe in pressure. I put my faith and my trust in Allah, and I let him take control,” he said.
Looking ahead, Haney has his sights set on cementing his legacy as an all-time great in the sport.
“I wanna be an all-time great in the sport. I see myself going up in weight classes; proving myself; doing what the greats did. [Earning parity with] the greats – beating these guys, one by one,” he said.
However, his immediate focus is on the upcoming clash with Garcia.
“It all starts with beating Ryan Garcia. That’s my main focus. April 20, it will be fireworks – the world will see,” Haney declared. He believes Garcia will come out “reckless” and that he will use the challenger’s aggression against him, promising to “hurt him” in the process.
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