Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney might be pulling the biggest con of the century! While they are feuding publicly by throwing profanities at each other, in private, they might be best friends. At least, that’s what the boxing world deduced from their conversation during the ‘Face-Off’ interview with DAZN on 25 March. 

The career rivals are about to enter the ring on April 20 at Barclays Center in The Big Apple. Garcia and Haney go way back, having competed against each other during their amateur careers. Since both fighters secured three wins each, their upcoming seventh encounter is a sort of finale to their fierce and heated rivalry. However, when Garcia shared a clip of the ‘Face-Off’ interview on social media today, their relationship seemed less like two enemies and more like two bantering friends. 

Devin Haney recalls the time Ryan Garcia surprised him

During the interview, the duo started discussing their amateur days, something one could find friends do often. Suddenly, Garcia brought up one of their fights in West Virginia, claiming, “Do you remember [the] West Virginia Junior Olympic Nationals? How bad I beat the s**t out of you…” In response, Haney reminded Garcia that he won the fight, albeit via split decision. 

When Garcia asserted that despite the results, he dominated Haney, the latter claimed, “You never beat the s**t out of me. You won that fight though, you did – I give you that.” However, Garcia’s approach to that fight seems to have surprised ‘The Dream’. He said, “He went in there, and he jumped on me. He surprised me [with] that fight – I am not gonna lie.” Seeing this rather friendly conversation unfold, fans could not help but think Garcia and Haney could be friends. 

Fans claim they appreciate the respect between the fighters

As unusual as the clip seemed after weeks of fiery back and forth between Garcia and Haney, it managed to make the fans think. MMA journalist Nina Marie Daniele suggested Garcia and Haney could become great friends after the fight. She wrote, “I [felt] like you guys are gonna be homies after the fight.”

Even fitness influencer Shemar Morrison echoed the same sentiment, asserting that the two fighters are secretly best friends, trying to make money. “Lowkey two best friends just tryna make a bag together,” wrote Morrison.

Then, a bodybuilder, Jason Poston, chimed in with his two cents. Poston explained that he appreciated the respect between the two fighters instead of all the trash talk. He wrote, “I’d rather see respect than immature bull s**t.”

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One user speculated that their animosity is all just a show to promote the fight. The user wrote, “Good interview. They respect each other lk but are trying to hype the fight up through trash talk.”

Another user appreciated Garcia’s honesty when he claimed he tried to surprise Haney with his fighting tactic one more time, but it didn’t work. “I appreciate the honesty with ‘I tried it again, and it didn’t work’ lol,” wrote the user. 

As things seem in the clip, the fans might be on to something with the ‘friends in secret’ narrative.  What do you think? Is their friendship real? Let us know in the comments section below.

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