It took nearly a year before Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney‘s rematch appeared on the horizon. But seemingly, it just took an event to blow away any chances, if there were any. Now its fate hangs on tenterhooks. At the Times Square ‘Fatal Fury,’ fans had a rude awakening when they saw Garcia suffer a shocking loss to Rolando Romero. Then, despite a win, Haney’s performance didn’t please many, either.

Given what transpired last year—a hugely controversial fight, suspension with fines, followed by lawsuits—to fans, a rematch appeared the most suitable alternative to settle the long-pending debate. Some condemned both fighters for lowering the stakes of their second fight. However, a few, it seems, were especially unhappy with the way Haney-Ramirez unfolded. Elated after his star boxer Naoya Inoue literally rescued the Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend, Bob Arum criticized the participants of the May 2 & 3 Riyadh Season events. One of his most scathing remarks ended up touching on Devin Haney.

A discerning reality check

To set the record straight, the Top Rank honcho acknowledged Devin Haney is a great fighter. However, the fight against Jose Ramirez was a ‘total disgrace.’ Surrounded by reporters, Bob Arum was actually pointing out how the Inoue-Cardenas showdown at the T-Mobile Arena stood in contrast to the events in New York and Riyadh. His thoughts took off when a reporter checked for his view on the Canelo-Crawford matchup. Considering how the Canelo-Scull fight unfolded, Arum lamented, “Who knows, with, you know, these guys getting so much money, what their incentive is to really perform?” Canelo probably received $50 million for the Scull fight. He will get another $100 million against Crawford. So why would Canelo take any risk? Arum opined.

Yesteryear icons like Sugar Ray Leonard or Oscar De La Hoya also had pre-agreed matchups. But still, they entertained crowds while having incentives such as PPVs and gates to ‘look good.’ Now the fighters are “promised great money for their next fight, and their only sure way they’re going to get it is to not engage in a fight.” And to cite another example, he picked Devin Haney. “If you’re Devin Haney and you’re getting good money for the fight with Ramirez and you’re going to get super money to fight Garcia—because he assumed Garcia would win—then why would he take any risks?” Bob Arum reflected.

“But that’s not good for boxing. That’s terrible for boxing,” he concluded.

However, doesn’t it take two to tango?

To many fans, it may sound like a one-sided view. Devin Haney’s performance may be open to debate. Jose Ramirez, a former unified champion, had been through a rough patch. So if his intention was to put his career on track, then he should have fought Haney like the way Cardenas did against Inoue.

Then one cannot deny. Ryan Garcia’s defeat proved another cog in the wheel that seemingly put the rematch in limbo. A win over Romero, his former sparring partner, would have helped him erase the memories of the last fight and declare his resolve to mark a fresh beginning.

There’s another angle to consider. Haney had a year-long layoff following a match that initially turned terrible for him. So instead of opting for a head-on clash, he might have settled for a technical skirmish for the comeback fight.

So what’s your take? Do you agree with Arum’s views on the Haney-Ramirez fight?