Devin Haney: “The Safe Bet Would Be Tank, But You Can’t Count Ryan Out”

By: Sean Crose

“I think its a good fight,” Devin Haney told Marcos Villegas of FightHub in a recently released video. “Ryan (Garcia) has the height, the length, the speed, but Tank has that power. He has that neutralizer.” Indeed he does. Baltimore native and multi divisional titlist Davis has won all but two of the fights on his unblemished resume within the distance. Still, Haney warns in the video that Garcia will have effective weapons of his own when he steps into the ring to face Davis for their April 22nd superbout.

“The safe bet would be Tank,” undefeated and undisputed lightweight world champion Haney says, “but you can’t count Ryan out as well.” Haney feels Garcia, aside from his considerable physical tools, believes he can win. “He has speed,” said Haney, “he has power and I don’t think that he’s scared. I think he’s coming in there to win.” Haney, of course, has good reason to be interested in the fight. For a future showdown with the winner – or even the loser – is quite possible. First, though, Haney will likely have to get through former lightweight kingpin Vasyl Lomachenko.

Boxing being boxing, a Haney-Lomachenko fight has been a long time coming. Haney assures Villegas in the video, however, that the battle between he and Loma will certainly be going down. “The fight’s definitely going to happen,” said Haney. Indeed, Haney claimed that only one matter has to be settled before the scene is set for he and Lomachenko to meet in the ring: “Just the location,” he said. Of course, Haney-Loachenko might not have the fireworks Davis-Garcia is apt to have (“If Tank wants to go blow him out the water,” Haney said of Davis, “we wouldn’t be surprised.”).

Still, a Haney-Loma fight promises chess at the highest level. Loma can turn an opponent and put punches together like few others. And Haney? The man is a master of slick, one who has never once tasted defeat. And lets not forget that each fighter can punch. Haney and Loma may not turn out the lights like Davis and Garcia do, but it wasn’t all that long ago, for instance, when Loma got four high level opponents to quit on their stools.

There are some truly interesting matchups to be made here – especially when one includes the stellar Shakur Stevenson in the mix. Here’s hoping these potential fights end up going the way of Davis-Garcia, a major matchup that actually got made.