With a week’s worth of consideration, Bill Haney – Devin Haney’s father and trainer – says his ultimate regret is “not enforcing the three pounds” that Ryan Garcia came in overweight before dealing Haney his first loss April 20.
“That’s calculated. That’s cheating,” the elder Haney told BoxingScene Monday in an extended telephone interview, during which he also said that he and his son have yet to formally discuss if there will be any changes to Devin Haney’s training team.
Bill Haney, who additionally serves as his son’s manager, was empowered to have his son withdraw from the bout because Garcia weighed in 3.2 pounds over the junior welterweight limit of 140 pounds on the day before the planned WBC title bout.
Instead, Devin Haney accepted the bout and posted on his X social media account on April 19 that Garcia made good on his news-conference bet to pay Haney $500,000 for each pound he was overweight – a total of $1.5 million.
By missing weight, Garcia was not eligible to win his first major belt, and Haney – who did weigh in at 140 – ensured he would not lose it regardless of the outcome.
Additionally, Haney received purse money for the bout that neither he nor Garcia would have collected if the bout (which drew more than 14,000 fans to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center) had been scrapped.
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) proceeded to defeat the -800 betting favorite by rocking Haney with two hard left hooks in the first round, then knocking him down in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds to capture a majority decision victory.
Bill Haney told BoxingScene that he and his son know from their Muslim teachings that “life is not about regrets – Allah’s the perfect planner.” So the bout playing out as it did “was a chance to see what [Devin] was made of.”
The elder Haney agreed with analysts such as Hall of Fame boxer and former 140-pound titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. of ProBox TV that Garcia had a distinct advantage by leaving Haney to drain himself fully in making 140 pounds.
“It’s a victory within itself,” Bill Haney said. “We went against everything that’s wrong with boxing. [Devin] followed the rules. Got knocked down. Got up again and again, and fought like the champion he still is. He proved he was a warrior, and now life goes on.”
As for Garcia, who has been on a victory tour that has included dating in Miami, meeting Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and former president Donald Trump, Bill Haney said, “It’s a bad move when you’re trying to be a professional” to come in more than three pounds overweight for a title fight. [Garcia and his team] did what they did, and they’ll be known for that, just like Devin will be known for what he is: a true professional.
“But there’s no crying in this sport, so let’s continue on our path to be on the Mount Rushmore of boxing.”
In reflecting upon the fight itself, Bill Haney said he has not yet reviewed a full replay of the fight to dissect every detail and fully answer criticism that has questioned why Devin Haney wasn’t prepared for Garcia’s lethal left hook.
“Initially getting hit with it … I don’t think [Devin] recovered. Getting caught early was a recipe for disaster,” Bill Haney said.
Although Devin Haney had success ducking under Garcia’s left in racking up Rounds 2 through 6 to narrow the scorecard margins – one judge had the bout even – Garcia’s left ultimately decided the outcome.
“The left hand … we had a plan for it because it’s Ryan’s money punch,” Bill Haney said.
The loss has raised speculation about whether Devin Haney might be better served to retain another head trainer, and Bill Haney said that choice is his son’s.
“We are lifetime partners, and boxing is something we do as our profession,” Bill Haney said. “I never make assumptions [on the future]. I show up for work when he calls me.”
“It’s only been a week. I hope Devin can take this time and be a 25-year-old who’s just coming out of a world-stopping event, to observe the 30 days of Ramadan he’s missed. He’ll come out of that in a good space, and whatever decision he makes, I’m sure it will be the best decision of his life. This is his decision and his decision only.”
The Haneys are due to vacation together in a few days.
On Saturday morning, Garcia promoter Oscar De La Hoya spotted Devin Haney doing an exercise run near a golf course community outside Las Vegas and took a photo with the smiling fighter.
“That’s Devin the warrior,” the elder Haney said. “Right back to running and jogging, being the professional fighter he is.”