Ryan Garcia calls Devin Haney a paper champion
Rising Golden Boy Promotions lightweight star Ryan “KingRy” Garcia (21-0, 18ko) still is not rushing to activate his mandatory status to fight WBC champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (25-0, 19ko).
In 2020, both the WBC and WBO ordered a title eliminator for KingRy to fight either British two-time title contender Luke Campbell or the lesser-known fighter from Ghana, Emmanuel Tagoe.
The undefeated heir to the Canelo throne picked the more creditable opponent in Campbell. Furthermore, he was victorious in an exciting fight that saw the young prospect heavily tested. Garcia had to get up off the canvas for the first time in his career and knocked out the two-time title contender in the seventh round.
Despite winning the WBC interim title, making him the mandatory challenger to The Dream, Garcia immediately called for a fight with two-divisional champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Haney has been trying to bait the WBC mandatory challenger into a fight with no success. Moreover, Garcia has shifted gears from Tank for a possible match-up with legendary fighter Manny Pacquiao.
During an interview with iFL TV, Garcia doubled down on wanting to fight Davis and expressed his feelings about how the WBC champion obtained his title.
“I want to fight Gervonta Davis, I have made that very clear. It was either Manny Pacquiao or Davis. Eddie can say whatever he wants. I don’t believe Devin Haney has earned any type of spot to me that was all political. He got to the title like how they say, paper champion. That’s not any disrespect to him. I think he is a great fighter. “
Garcia voiced his opinion before on the legitimacy of The Dream being a champion. In addition, he has even clapped back at Hearn on the same topic, telling the British promoter to “cry me a river.”
KingRy was not done and went deeper into the reasons why a fight with Haney does not move him.
“That fight just doesn’t excite me. Why would it excite me, what is he doing that is exciting? He goes into the ring, he does what he does but he didn’t even knockout Gamboa. It doesn’t excite me. I am ready to go fight Gervonta Davis that is what the people want.”
The WBC interim titlist is referring to when, after the Campbell bout, he asked the crowd in Texas if they wanted to see him fight the two-divisional champion or the WBC champion.
Garcia would end the topic with this final statement.
“Why would I go and fight someone the people don’t even want.”
By: Garrisson Bland
