The father of Ryan Garcia says Devin Haney and his own father are going about a potential fight the “wrong” way.
Haney and his father and trainer, Bill Haney, have traded heated words with Gervonta “Tank” Davis in the wake of Haney’s dominant 12-round stoppage of Regis Prograis over 12 rounds to earn Prograis’ 140-pound belt.
Las Vegas’ Haney, the former undisputed lightweight champion, has repeatedly called for a fight with Davis, arguably the biggest American draw in the sport today, but there seems to be more bickering than actual negotiating going on between the two sides.
A fight with Davis isn’t the only matchup that Haney has set his sights on since defeating Prograis.
Victorville, California’s Garcia indicated on his social media on Tuesday that he had instructed his handlers at Golden Boy Promotions to start talks with Haney about a potential showdown. Haney himself confirmed that preliminary discussions indeed were ongoing.
Garcia, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and advised by Lupe Valencia, has been eager to face a champion in the 140-pound division since he knocked out Oscar Duarte earlier this month in eight rounds.
If negotiations between Haney and Garcia are moving ahead in a positive direction, the same cannot be said for Haney and Davis.
According to Henry Garcia, Haney and his team have not started off on the right foot as it relates to a fight with Davis. Henry Garcia said the elder Haney in particular has not put himself in a good position to negotiate honestly because of hostile comments he has made about the hard hitting southpaw from Baltimore.
“Trust me, Bill Haney is a smart man,” Henry Garcia told Punsh Drunk Boxing. “He knows what he has to do. He knows what he has to do. Alright? But the way he’s doing it is all wrong right now. Because the thing is this bro, you never upset a fighter prior to anything. You don’t want to do that because you’re like saying, ‘Hey man you’re full of this, you’re a piece of this and you’re a piece of that but can you let me in for a moment so we can have dinner?’
“That’s why I say go to church, brother,” he added, referring to Bill Haney.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.
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