Promoter Eddie Hearn says Devin Haney has misplaced his “love of the game” resulting from what occurred along with his struggle towards Ryan Garcia final 12 months. Hearn states that Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) is simply combating for the cash.
Haney’s 12-round majority determination loss to Ryan on April 20, 2024, modified his mindset, reworking him into the overly daring fighter we see now.
“Devin has modified. He’s fallen out of affection of the game of boxing due to what occurred with Ryan Garcia and all the opposite bull s**** as properly,” mentioned Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn to Australian Boxing Central. “So, when Devin began, all he needed to do was chase greatness. I don’t suppose he’s like that anymore.”
Hearn believes that the previous two-division world champion Haney is jaded by what he skilled from his struggle towards Ryan. With Garcia testing constructive for the PED Ostarine, and the followers turning on Devin for submitting a lawsuit towards him within the aftermath. As a substitute of followers empathizing with Haney, they’ve demonized him for his determination to sue, viewing it as a weak point.
Preventing for Cash, Not Greatness
Hearn states that Devin and his father, Invoice Haney, are actually taking a reckless strategy to deciding on fights, selecting dangerous fighters in pursuit of the massive paydays. He talked about Teofimo Lopez and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis as two examples of fighters that Haney not too long ago tried to struggle. Now, he’s going through WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. on November twenty second on the ANB Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hearn believes Devin might lose that struggle.
From Hero to Villain
“I feel it was a tough experience what occurred within the Ryan Garcia struggle. It isn’t simply what occurred to him. It was the individuals’s responses,” mentioned Hearn about Devin. “He grew to become the villain in a struggle the place he acquired bashed up by a man who had performance-enhancing medicine in his system, and that ought to by no means have been that means,” mentioned Hearn, giving his ideas in regards to the change in Haney.
It was jarring for Devin to expertise the backlash towards him, somewhat than Ryan, after the followers discovered of Garcia’s constructive PED check. Haney anticipated followers to sympathize with him. As a substitute, he had them public pecking at his heels, viewing him because the one within the mistaken.
Haney’s Modified Mindset
“I feel it made Devin fall out of affection with the game of boxing. And I feel now an enormous a part of Devin is combating only for cash, and that’s when it turns into harmful since you’re not the identical fighter,” mentioned Hearn.
Haney’s selection of opponents is sort of harmful, given his efficiency towards Ryan and his final struggle towards Jose Ramirez on Could 2, 2025, at Instances Sq. in New York. Taking up the unbeaten 24-year-old Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) is seen by some followers as foolhardy. Norman Jr. has appeared harmful currently, knocking out these fighters in his final three fights:
Jin Sasaki: W-KO 5
Derriek Cuevas: W-TKO 3
Giovani Santillan: W-KO 10
