When your dignity’s on the line, you’re bound to give it everything you’ve got. Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney are stepping up to the challenge, having both inked multi-fight deals with Riyadh Season. Both Garcia and Haney are set to kick off their contracts with separate fights on the same high-profile May card. The victories by both men could pave the way for a highly anticipated rematch later this fall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The welterweight bout between Ryan Garcia and the former WBA junior welterweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero will be the main event of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s first Ring Magazine USA show at Times Square in New York. In the co-feature, Devin Haney will fight Jose Ramirez. Another of the card’s bout will see Teofimo Lopez put his WBO and The Ring junior welterweight titles on the line against Arnold Barboza Jr. The May 2 event, dubbed Fatal Fury, will be a unique collaboration between Ring Magazine and SNK Games. And with the event only two months away, the fighters were recently in New York for the official press event, all fired up and ready for the showdown ahead.

Ryan Garcia bites his tongue reluctantly

A few hours before the conference, Ryan Garcia sat down with The Ring. The reporter picked the topic of him and Devin Haney fighting under the same card on May 2 in Times Square, New York. The reporter pointed out how both of them kept it “classy” during the London awards gala in January by not making any remarks to one another despite the deep-seated animosity. To this, Ryan Garcia quickly responded that the only reason he kept things respectful is because “He is suing me.”

KingRy even joked about how anything he says could be used against him in their ongoing lawsuit. “Everything I’ve said is now used against me,” lamented the Victorville native. At one point, he even called Haney a “bi**h,” but was almost like, who knows, “maybe he’ll sue me for saying that. Who knows, he might use that in the deposition.” It’s clear Ryan Garcia feels Haney’s more focused on legal stuff than the actual fight. “He used a lot of my tweets. Everything I said, he used against me,” he added.

But the key takeaway? Ryan Garcia’s over the trash talk. Now, it remains to be seen who emerges victorious between Jose Ramirez and Devin Haney. If the latter gets his hands raised at the end and the Victorville native bags the win against Rolly Romero, the 24-1 boxer will make sure to display a fight that everybody wished for—no more words, just action. Because, “I don’t have to say anything more. I already proved it. I already beat his a**,” Ryan Garcia declared.

With a lawsuit in mind, Ryan Garcia seems to be lying low. But what about his arch nemesis, Devin Haney? He definitely didn’t stay quiet. He wasted no time bashing the Victorville native at their press event. However, the thing is, he isn’t focused on Ryan Garcia at the moment.

Devin Haney doesn’t fight any Joe Blow

Devin Haney is moving up to welterweight to face former two-time world champion Jose Ramirez, who’s also stepping up from 140 lbs. Haney hasn’t fought since their fight last year. Despite being down three times, Haney said, he wasn’t dwelling on it. Moreover, he brushed off the idea that the fight “exposed” the 31-0 boxer.

At the Fatal Fury press conference in NYC, the 26-year-old explained, “I fought somebody on PEDs… but we move forward.” Haney’s ready to focus on his future and show the world what he’s really capable of.

As for his year off from boxing, Haney posited that he had always planned to do that after the Ryan Garcia bout. And that he purposely chose a strong opponent for his return. “When I came back, I wanted to face the best fighters in the world. I didn’t want to face any regular Joe Blow. I wanted to fight a two-time world champion like Jose Ramirez. That’s why we picked him,” Devin Haney answered. He also felt the move to welterweight was right for him. “It was definitely time. My body was maturing,” he stated.

Do you think Ryan Garcia made the right call by speaking less, especially with the legal drama surrounding him? And as for the fight between him and Devin Haney, who do you think will come out on top if they meet again?