Eddie Hearn hopes to broker a deal between light welterweight stars Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney for April 20th on DAZN PPV.
Hearn wants Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) to restart negotiations with Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and his dad, Bill, so he can piece together a deal for the two fighters to meet in a massive pay-per-view contest in April.
Ryan, 25, struck out with his attempt to face Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero next when he chose to go in another direction to defend his WBA 140-lb title against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz on March 30th.
Haney = Ryan’s only Option
Hearn says that Ryan has no viable alternative options for April 20th because he won’t be able to fight WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez or rematch Gervonta Davis.
Whether Ryan wants to admit it or not, Haney is the only option for a PPV bout in April. Boxing fans won’t want to pay to watch Ryan face another Oscar Duarte-level fighter if that’s what his intentions are for April 20th.
“I spoke to Ryan Garcia briefly last night just to message, and I said, ‘The timing is good because I’m seeing Devin and Bill [Haney] in Vegas all next week, and that’s the fight to make. You want a big PPV on April 20th. Tell me the other options out there,'” said Hearn to Fight Hub TV.
Devin The Predatory Opportunist
Some would argue that this is a self-serving move for Hearn because he knows his fighter, Haney, will be a HUGE favorite against Ryan, who looks nowhere near ready for this level of a fighter at this early stage of his career.
The chances are high that Ryan will be embarrassed by Haney, lose a one-sided decision, or be stopped. That would be Ryan’s second defeat in his last three fights, hurting his earning power in future contests.
Hearn obviously wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to match Haney against someone he’d likely lose to, like IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias, WBC 135-lb champ Shakur Stevenson, or IBF welterweight champ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Ryan is an easy mark for Haney because he can make much money without risking his hide. It would be fine if Haney didn’t already have a reputation for being matched in a calculated, opportunistic way. Devin should show he’s not a sneaky spider and take on Matias, Boots, or Shakur.
