Eddie Hearn says Devin Haney should be scheduling a tuneup fight now to prepare for a potential mega-clash against Ryan Garcia in mid-2025.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Bill Haney has been posting video clips of Devin’s training, and it looks like he might have a fight he’s preparing for. However, the only guy Bill is hinting about wanting to for Devin is Ryan.
Bill has been hounding him nonstop on X, pushing him to sign up with VADA for drug testing. Naturally, Ryan sees no point in signing up for testing when he’s still suspended, not signed for a fight against Haney, and still being sued. It’s baffling on Bill’s part. He’s putting the cart before the horse.
Hearn Says Haney Needs Guidance
The Matchroom promoter Hearn feels that Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) needs guidance with his career to give him some “firepower” backing to get things done. He doesn’t say what he would do if Haney signed with his company, but he’d probably match him against one of his British fighters, like Jack Catterall if he comes through his fight this Saturday night against Regis Prograis or IBF light welterweight champion Liam Paro.
Hearn didn’t say whether he’d be up for that job. It’s going to be tough for Haney, 25, coming back from his loss to Ryan because his confidence is likely at an all-time low, and whoever faces him will be loading up on headshots to take advantage of his weak chin.
“Devin needs some guidance. Sometimes, you need someone who knows the industry inside and out like the back of their hand. Bill [Haney] has done an amazing job with Devin, but you need firepower,” said Eddie Hearn to Fight Hub TV about Devin Haney needing help with his career.
If Bill wants to be the one who hustles the fights for Devin, it could end badly for him. Anyone Bill chooses would be risky for Haney with his glass chin. It’s highly possible that he can’t take a punch anymore and will fall apart if he’s matched against even the weakest puncher at 140 or 147.
Regis Prograis would jump at the chance to take a rematch with Haney if he gets past Catterall on Saturday night because he’s going to be like an angry bull, going for the knockout. The shots that Prograis hit Haney with in their fight last December might torpedo him now after what Ryan did.
“I think Devin needs to get himself together and get a fight scheduled,” said Hearn. “Everyone is talking about the potential Ryan Garcia fight. Potential? What is that, May, June, July? In my opinion, he needs another fight before he goes into another fight.
“In my opinion, needs another fight before he goes into a big fight. So, if I’m Devin Haney right now, I’m scheduling my fight, whether that’s in Vegas. He’s a big name still. I know he had the defeat or not the defeat against Ryan Garcia, but he’s still a big name in the sport.
“For me, I’d be getting that date locked in and coming back with a bang for a big show, and then coming back with a massive fight next summer, maybe against Ryan Garcia or anyone else,” said Hearn about Haney.
No matter who Haney is matched against in a tuneup, he’ll be at risk of getting knocked out because his punch resistance looked like it was 100% gone by the end of his fight last April against Ryan. Haney was getting staggered by everything Ryan was hitting him within the final three rounds, and the only reason he wasn’t knocked out was that Kingry went easy on him. He was begging Bill to stop the fight because Haney was helpless.
