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Devin Haney’s Mom: Real Reason He Left Her at the Age of 14?

Published 04/20/2024, 10:35 AM CDT

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The latest bout between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia at the Empire State Building saw Ryan Garcia accompanied by his parents, Henry and Lisa Garcia. Devin Haney, as usual, was joined by his father, who is also his trainer and manager, Bill Haney. As some of the fans might recall, during their altercation, everyone could hear ‘KingRy’ repeatedly asking the light welterweight champion, “Where’s your momma?…

Probably that was the reason why ‘The Dream’, in an uncharacteristic way, got so riled and went after his rival. But then the question might have indeed stuck in the minds of many fans. Where is Devin Haney’s mother? Is he living with her or not? If not, then at what age did he leave her? Let’s try to find answers to some of those questions.

About Devin Haney’s Mother

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Devin Haney was born on November 17, 1998, to Bill and April Clay in San Francisco, California. Not much credible information is available about April Clay, such as her background, education level, family, etc. Before his son’s birth, Bill Haney had reportedly burned his hands dealing with banned substances. Later, he even served a prison sentence.

While in jail, he gained some beneficial contacts that helped him launch a fresh career in the music industry. In Oakland, California, he founded a record label. He also earned some incredible experience working with stalwarts such as Aaliyah and DMX. It was during his stay at ‘The Golden State’ that young Devin Haney picked up the nuances of boxing from his father as part of his self-defense training. At age eight, ‘The Dream’ went to a boxing gym for the first time.

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Subsequently, in order to give his family a better lifestyle, Bill Haney left his wife and two sons and made a move to Las Vegas. By this time, Bill Haney had already heard about his son’s natural talent. Devin Haney joined him by the time he turned fourteen. It’s possible Devin’s move offered a more stable environment for boxing training. Hence, in order to further his career in the sport and to improve his own education in boxing, Devin Haney, at fourteen made his move to Las Vegas.

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Shortly around that time, Bill Haney opened a gym called ‘The Hit Factory’. Alongside, he worked with renowned trainers such as Floyd Mayweather Sr. and his younger brother Roger Mayweather. Training and conditioning, then sparring and getting initial fights, are often time-consuming. Hence, Devin Haney received his education through homeschooling. But all through the years, Devin Haney’s mother supported him wholeheartedly.

Devin Haney’s relationship with his mother

Despite the fact that he lived far away from her, Devin Haney has always shared a loving relationship with his mother. She is often present whenever her son has a big fight. Fans might still remember her happy face when the future world champion defeated the South African Xolisani Ndongeni in 2019. A reporter from FightHype asked, “I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but how many times have you heard someone say your son’s a bad boy?

All his life,” she said. When the reporter asked whether it was tough watching her son inside the ring fighting, she replied, “It’s always tough, but you know, with the training that he has and the skills, and the people that he has around him, like church, his dad, and you know all the people that he has around him, I, no doubt do I feel that he’s going to be okay.

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Later, she even described how he has always been mild and humble. She shared that looking at her son, she gets reminded of the word ‘greatness’. She knew ‘The Dream’ was special from the day he was born.

Devin Haney’s mother responds to Ryan Garcia

Another good instance to show the kind of relationship that Devin Haney shares with his mother came up with the latest incident. After the latest press conference, rushing to her son’s defense, April Clay questioned Ryan Garcia, “Where’s yours? Where’s your papa? Where’s your papa, Ryan?

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When a reporter asked whether the match would go full 12 rounds, she replied back that it would wind up within two. Between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, who is your pick for the win? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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Written by:

Jaideep R Unnithan

1,565Articles

One take at a time

Jaideep Unnithan is a senior boxing author at EssentiallySports. Inching towards the milestone of over 2000 articles, he has been a chronicler of day-to-day developments happening inside and outside of the squared circle. Having a keen eye on the punches traded inside the ring, he has written opinion pieces on the fighting styles of Floyd Mayweather Jr, David Benavidez, and Terence Crawford.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai