Ryan Garcia 25-1 (20) says he is open to a rematch with Devin Haney 31-1 (15) but only if the WBC junior welterweight champion can prove he is not damaged goods.
Former undisputed lightweight champion Haney was on the canvas three times in the second half of his fight against Garcia at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night, losing a majority decision by scores of 112-112, 114-110 and 115-109.
The fight was billed as the decider between the pair of 25-year-olds, who had a long rivalry in the amateurs that saw them split six fights at three apiece.
Garcia’s professional victory hinged on his powerful left hook, a punch that was instrumental in knocking Haney down in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds and made all the more dangerous by the extra weight behind it after Garcia scaled 143.2-pounds for what was supposed to be a 140-pound contest.
Garcia has been in fine fettle on social media, basking in the glory of his unexpected victory.
“First I got to see if Devin Haney will ever be the same, but if they want to run it back right away, it’ll be easier this time because now he’s damaged goods,” he said.
“I wouldn’t mind fighting him again, but if I see my son get his ass whooped like that, I’m not doing no rematch for a minute.”
Garcia added that any rematch would have to take place at welterweight as 143-pounds is the lowest weight his body can make at this stage of his career.
Weight was on the mind of Haney’s promoter Eddie Hearn too.
“When I saw him in the ring, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s massive’,” the Matchroom Boxing boss said to BoxNation.
“Look at the pictures of him and the [Gervonta] Tank [Davis] fight [in April last year]. It’s a different person. I think he had a huge physical advantage [against Haney], but it doesn’t matter because you accepted those terms.
“I don’t think you should go back now and say, ‘You should have…’. That’s what I should have said to Henry Garcia, ‘Your son didn’t honour the agreement of the fight.’ Three -and-a-half pounds is a huge amount of weight.”
Hearn said he only gave Garcia three rounds in the fight, the ones in which he scored knockdowns.
“At the end of the ninth round, I thought Devin’s legs started to look really weak,” he said. “I was screaming at Devin, ‘all you need to do is box’, because even if you stay on your feet and lose the last three rounds, you win the fight.”
Haney was circumspect in defeat.
“Alhamdulillah Allah is the perfect planner he makes no mistakes,” Haney posted to social media. “Fought like a true champion. Got up off the canvas and kept fighting.
“I am 100% okay and would love to do it again while we both make weight.”