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Thus far, the narrative, it seems, has had only one centerpiece: Ryan Garcia. His online messages and posts have been making headlines for the past several weeks. But doesn’t it take two to tango? What happened to his opponent here? After all, Garcia plans to snatch the light welterweight title from Devin Haney when they meet at the Barclays Center on April 20. However, fans have received minimal updates from the reigning champion.

Well, like a true professional, he has been busy training hard at the gym, completely focused on the fight. Given the ongoing talks about Ryan Garcia’s mental health, for sure he must come across some of the updates on his end. So how does he feel when he hears such ominous reports about his opponent? News that has even cast a foreboding shadow over the future of their upcoming fight?

Devin Haney: Breaking the Silence

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Ron Goodall from FightHype took up the matter when he met ‘The Dream’ at the gym. The light welterweight champion appeared on a break in between his grueling schedule. “I’m sure, um, the whole Ryan Garcia thing, you know, some people saying he’s mental… coming directly from you, just what what’s your thoughts on the whole thing?” asked FightHype’s Lead Managing Editor.

Devin Haney stated that he doesn’t have a clear picture of the matter. For that matter, he would rather focus on improving his skills than poking his nose into someone else’s business. He said, “Yeah um we don’t know um it’s not for me to to dig too deep in um all I can do is focus on myself, preparing the best way that I know how to, and um preparing for whenever Ryan Garcia shows up on uh April 20th.

Then Goodall touched upon reports of the WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman having a discussion with the New York Athletic Commission regarding some of the social media posts of Ryan Garcia. Is he concerned that the upcoming match could face cancellation on account of such issues?

The Dream’s Unwavering Preparation

‘The Dream’ shared that initially he did check whether Garcia would turn for the fight or not. However, he subsequently realigned his thoughts and started focusing on his preparation. That way, he would be able to give his best on fight night. However, if Ryan Garcia fails to make an appearance, he will be ready for whoever enters the ring as a substitute.

No, I mean, like I said, I’m it’s it’s it’s earlier. I was focusing on, you know, if Ryan was going to show up, but you know, I changed my focus to, you know, focusing on me and controlling me, and preparing the best way that I how to be preparing to be the best ever handed on that night, so if Garcia isn’t isn’t ready to fight, then uh, any guy that that steps in, I’m going be ready for him,” said Haney.

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He highlighted that Oscar De La Hoya already has a boxer to fill Garcia’s place. He mentioned WBC’s ranking contender, (Arnold) Barboza’s name. Otherwise, Ryan Garcia stays in the fight, and he is getting himself ready for the slugfest. “In which we already know that Oscar has a set-up for (Arnold) Barboza if you know, um, if Ryan can’t show up, but you know, as of right now it’s Ryan Garcia and uh, we’re preparing for,” said ‘The Dream’.

One more month remains for one of the biggest fights of the year. Hence, no fan worth his salt would wish for the fight to cave in. Concerns involving Ryan Garcia remain serious, though. The much-vaunted bout follows the collapse of an earlier discussion.

Read More: Ryan Garcia Predicted to Make $80-$100 Million After Devin Haney Fight; Distributes Money Among Fans

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What’s your take on issues related to Ryan Garcia? Do you doubt whether he’d be able to make it to the fight on April 20?

Also Read: Repercussions of Cancelling Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia: Why No One Can Afford This Setback