Josh Taylor backs Devin Haney to retain his WBC super lightweight title against Ryan Garcia on Saturday night (April 20), but on the possibility of facing Devin Haney in the future I haven't thought about it at all.
However, there's a good reason for that. Taylor, who became the undisputed super lightweight champion in May 2021 by defeating Jose Carlos Ramirez, will now be tasked with defending all four belts against Jack Catterall in Glasgow nine months later. Ta. But the Scot, who dominated the 10-stone division, was looking to move up to 147lbs and take on the welterweight elite.
By taking his eye off the ball, he almost lost everything he had worked for. Although Taylor's fight with Catterall was still uncontroversial, the narrow and controversial result resulted in Taylor and Catterall facing each other again on May 25th at Leeds' First Direct Arena. He was later removed from SSE Hydro.
The 33-year-old had just finished another day of training for his upcoming rematch and enjoyed a delicious dinner. boxing news I spoke with him on Thursday and explained why the idea of fighting Haney or Garcia doesn't interest me right now.
“I thought so last time too. [I fought Catterall],” He said.
“I'm thinking of moving up to 147 and challenging the likes of 'Bud' Crawford, Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas to become a two-division world champion. I'm hooked. I'm done making that mistake. Of course I think about these things and what happens after the fight. If I win, if I win against Jack, I would love to revisit Teofimo. [Lopez] Fight and fight guys like Haney and Garcia. This is a section that is currently attracting attention. For me, a victory on May 25th only means a big fight. If we win this battle, the future will be bright. ”
It doesn't take long for Haney and Garcia to settle their feud. When they take to the ring inside Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Saturday night (April 20), it will be the culmination of a build-up that is sometimes hard to see to believe. The social media insults, bizarre posts from Garcia, and several personal shoves are either intriguing or chilling, depending on how you look at it.
Thankfully, there are still boxing matches left. Haney, a former undisputed lightweight champion, tore Regis Prograis' reputation to shreds during a fight in December. “Rougarou”'s 13-month reign as WBC super lightweight champion ended when Haney proved there is a difference between good and great after scoring a shutout victory over his opponent in San Francisco.
“I can’t see beyond Devin Haney,” Taylor said of the championship’s first defense against Garcia.
“I think he has a better boxing brain and IQ. He's also gone up to 140, so he looks absolutely solid. He seems to have gotten a lot stronger. He looks really strong. He looks as fast as Garcia, maybe he doesn't have that flash fast left hook, but his hand speed is just as fast overall. I think they have a great package. I can't imagine Devin Haney winning this game.”
Haney and Garcia at the Empire State Building on April 16. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
After speaking with some industry experts, Garcia's chances of winning have been reduced to a puncher's chances. Bookmakers have Haney as the heavy favorite at odds of 1/8, with Garcia at 5/1. BN Taylor asked if he thinks like others and if Garcia has more than just a platitude to hope for a win.
“Well, everybody has a chance to be a puncher,” he replied.
“Garcia is so fast that he can't dismantle Luke Campbell relatively easily and knock him out if he gets it wrong. He's a good fighter, but he's not as good or as complete a fighter as Devin Haney. I think Devin is putting more effort into his game. More repertoire, more boxing brains, more versatility. I think Devin Haney is a more complete fighter.”
The underdog has become an anomaly in the sports world. It's been more than three years since Garcia defeated Luke Campbell in a bout that was a test for the 21-year-old.cent The battle of his career. As the countdown ticked down to the match with Haney, the seventh-round stoppage win over Campbell remained Garcia's biggest scalp.
Until almost a year ago, when Garcia narrowly missed out on Gervonta “Tank” Davis with 21 points.cent The superfight of the century served to break into the mainstream and significantly increase bank balances. But at the end of the day, competition is won and lost, and unless you're someone like Joe Frazier or Thomas Hearns, you're not going to remember many people who don't get the job done.
Davis' seventh-round stoppage victory raised questions about Garcia's heart and whether he could compete with today's greats like Davis and now Haney. So how did Garcia manage to get another big fight and another big payday? Well, the fact that he has 20 million followers across three social media platforms may have something to do with that. Is it because of his popularity or because of his ability as a fighter that Garcia gets another big chance like this?
“I think it's both,” Taylor commented.
“He's a talented fighter, but I think these fights are made because he's popular. For me, it's a mixture of both. He's got talent, he's got speed and edge, and he's the best boxing-wise. He's not, but he's very popular on social media, and I think that kind of came to a head a little bit because of the things he said and the crazy rants he had. As long as you stay focused, that’s what matters.”
“I think his popularity is what inspired him to play in this match,” he added. “I don't think he deserves this fight. He hasn't fought any particularly notable fighters. Obviously his best win was against Luke Campbell, [it was] Great victory. Luke himself was a great fighter, but I think Luke was a little older and nearing the end of his career. I think it's a little bit of both. He's talented, but he's also getting these opportunities because he's popular. ”
