Ryan Garcia’s return to boxing may still be a year away but he is already planning who he wants to face when he’s back.
It appeared that victory against Devin Haney would take Ryan Garcia to the very top of the sport.
Instead, Garcia was handed a 12-month ban from boxing by the New York State Athletic Committee for testing positive, twice, for banned substances.
Even the build-up to the fight left his fans confused as his social media rants and failure to make weight meant he couldn’t even take Haney’s WBC Super-Lightweight World title from him.
Ryan Garcia keen to settle score with Devin Haney
It seems we’ll be waiting a while for any hopes of a Garcia vs Haney rematch but both fighters appear keen to go head-to-head again.
After his unbeaten record was reinstated, Haney decided to take an extended break from boxing, turning down the chance to face Sandor Martin, the 25-year-old returned to social media on Tuesday (August 14) to confirm his desire to fight again.
His social media posts caught the attention of Turki Alalshikh, who called for him to fight in Saudi Arabia.
But it isn’t just Haney who wants the fight. Garcia also seems keen.
Responding to the reply Alalshikh left under Haney’s post, Garcia even vowed to be drug tested every day to ensure the fight went ahead.
How soon could we expect Garcia vs Haney?
Garcia’s ban doesn’t end until April 2025 so there will be no fight in the months before that.
Additionally, Garcia won’t have been in competitive action for a lengthy period and will likely need a warm-up fight before facing his rival again.
Haney’s extended break may also mean that he needs a warm-up fight too but due to being available to fight now, the 25-year-old could be ready to go whenever called upon.