Based on his respective experiences against Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia insists that one man represented a more formidable opponent.
In an unexpected turn of events, ‘Tank’ could end up facing WBO champion Haney later this year after pulling out of negotiations with Floyd Schofield.
The Schofield fight would have offered him the chance to reclaim his WBA lightweight title, yet it now seems that Davis could make his ring return at 147lbs.
Taking to social media earlier this week, Haney claimed that ‘Tank’s’ team has reached out with a view to explore their potential welterweight showdown, but stopped short of revealing any specific details.
The 27-year-old comes off a unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jr, who he dethroned to become a three-division world champion in November.
This came two fights after his majority decision defeat to Garcia, whose triumph was overturned to a no-contest following his two failed doping tests.
Back then, Haney was attempting to retain his WBC super-lightweight title while Garcia, after missing weight by over 3lbs, had foregone the opportunity to claim his opponent’s belt.
A vastly different story unfolded against Davis, however, as Garcia was forced to contend with a rehydration limit and ultimately lost their 135lb encounter via a seventh-round stoppage in 2023.
Speaking with PBD Podcast, the American highlighted this rehydration clause as a significant factor against ‘Tank’.
“Haney actually caught me. Gervonta … it wasn’t a hard fight – I was just weak. You guys can pull up a picture of how I looked for the Tank fight and how I looked for the Devin Haney fight.
“I would beat Gervonta Davis worse than I beat Devin Haney – Devin Haney’s a harder [opponent] than Gervonta.”
While the ‘Tank’ fight represents a lucrative opportunity, Haney has already been ordered to defend his WBO title against mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis.
