Devin Haney says he’s pulling for Ryan Garcia to defeat Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis on Saturday because he’s interested in fighting him next if he’s victorious in the title defense of his undisputed lightweight championship next month on May 20th against Vasily Lomachenko.
(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime)
When told that Ryan (23-0, 19 KOs) said that he wants to fight him next, Haney smiled and said that’s a match-up that he wants as well, be it at 135 or 140, provided that booth guys win their fights.
Ryan arguably has the tougher fight on his hands than Haney because he’s going up against the unbeaten Tank Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) this Saturday night, April 22, on Showtime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tank is in his prime at 28, and not as old as the 35-year-old Lomachenko or undersized for thee 135-lb division.
“When we go into a fight, it’s war; it’s combat. Two warriors going at it. We put our life on the line when we go in that ring,” said Devin Haney to the media.
“That’s good. I’m rooting for him. I want him to win,” said Haney when told that Ryan Garcia wants to fight him at 135 or 140. “With that being said, I want to make the biggest fights happen. He’s showing interest in watching to fight me, so that’s the guy that I want to win.
“He hasn’t shown much interest in fighting me, but I don’t know,” Haney said when asked if he thinks Tank Davis will fight him. “It all starts with May 20th, with me being victorious there. That’s my main focus, being victorious because, without that, I don’t get the bigger fights that I want.
“We got to see. Probably 135 because it would be the undisputed fight if it was to happen, but I don’t know. I still have to see how I feel on May 19th with making weight and on May 20th with me in the fight [against Vasily Lomachenko], but we’ll see. We’re not ruling nothing out.
“I don’t think it’s real. I don’t think that they should,” said Haney when asked if he thinks it’s real that Ryan and Tank will bet their purses for their fight on Saturday. “When you go into a fight, you’re putting it all on the line anyway.
“There’s no point in them betting their fight purses or anything like that. I think it’s a good fight. It’s 50-50,” said Haney when asked if he has a favorite in the Gervonta vs. Garcia fight.
“Ryan has the size advantage but the rehydration clause. I don’t know how he’ll be under that, but I think it’s a good fight for boxing. I’m excited to see it, and I’ll be there to watch it.
“Maybe one last time. We’ll see,” said Haney when asked if his fight with Vasily Lomachenko on May 20th will be the last time he defends his four 135-lb belts before he moves up to 140.
“I said this before, and I’ll say it again. I’ll never do a rehydration clause. Not where I’m at in my career. Right now, I’m the champion, the guy with all the hardware.
“So there would be no point in me doing a rehydration clause, especially with me being the champion. Everybody knows how hard it is for me to make 135. Tank said I was a middleweight. He said something like that. Loma said I’m a heavyweight. So we know what it is.
“Not at this point in my career,” Haney said when asked if he would ever consider doing a rehydration clause. “I’m fighting for belts and stuff like that. So there’s really no point in me doing a rehydration clause, but you never know.
“I can’t really say. Styles make fights,” said Haney when asked who would give him a tougher fight between Ryan and Tank Davis. “Ryan is much bigger, but Tank has more experience. I think he punches harder than Ryan, but I think Ryan has more speed. But we got to see. Styles make fights. You never know.
“We fought when we were kids. Me and Ryan’s first fight, we were like 10 years old. We’ve got a lot of history together, but I’ve changed a fighter. I’ve gotten better, and I’m sure he has too.
