“When I Beat Devin Haney”: Ryan Garcia Defines Champion in His Terms Rejecting Rolly Romero’s Status

No matter what is said and done, it seems all roads point toward ‘KingRy’. The past few weeks saw all the excitement surrounding a big line-up with boxing’s young superstar. But sadly, to no avail. Until now, narratives from the opposite end maintained the heat. However, in the latest tête-à-tête, fans and followers finally got to hear Ryan Garcia‘s side of the story.

Soon after he defeated Oscar Duarte on December 2, talks of a big fight with Devin Haney started gaining strength. To the utter dismay of fans, Rolando Romero‘s name gained entry into the roster, replacing ‘The Dream’. But just when fans were about to settle, another shocker came. Instead of Romero, a fight with former champion Jose Ramirez was being looked into. However, as it eventually turned out, even that line-up didn’t pan out. A call-out to Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz proved in vain. It was high time, and Ryan Garcia had to come out and share his thoughts on the recent goings-on. Especially what it meant to be a champion.

Champion for a case: Ryan Garcia defines his journey

During a conversation with FightHype, owner Ben Thompson expressed curiosity over a previous quote from Ryan Garcia. The latter had reportedly mentioned how titles remained irrelevant. While they mattered at times, for most, they never did. So, the question is whether becoming a titleholder fits into a wider scheme of his plans. Both Devin Haney and Rolando Romero held championship belts. Hence, whether becoming a champion had turned into a goal.

Garcia replied in the affirmative that it was increasingly turning into one. He said, “It’s becoming it’s becoming more of a goal of mine, you know, just to say I I did it. You know, um, do I want to beat the guy that’s the champion? You know, who I feel like represents the champion, yes.” However, in his view, therein lies the difference. For instance, if he beats Rolando Romero, then it wouldn’t matter.

Though he holds a belt in the 140-pound division, it’s easy to say that ‘Rollie’ is undeserving of championship status. Hence, defeating him would amount to nothing. However, the same doesn’t hold true for Devin Haney. Inflicting a first loss on the WBC champion brings in a credit worth boasting.

He said, “I don’t feel feel like Roy’s represented being a champion, so if I beat him and I got the belt, that wouldn’t have mattered to me; I wouldn’t have called myself a champion. I just say I have about, you know, if when I beat Devin Haney, I could consider myself a champion.”

Clearly, despite all the buzz over line-up changes, Ryan Garcia oozes confidence and knows what he wants next. It is fair to say that, as much as he wants his next fight to be a big one, for the potential opponent too, it’s a move made in gain given the kind of name Ryan Garcia enjoys across the boxing world and outside.

Earlier, on a happy note, ‘KingRy’ revealed that talks with Devin Haney’s team had apparently resumed. Ben Thompson asked Garcia whether ‘The Dream’ fight was back under consideration, and the Californian couldn’t hide that smile coming off his face.

Read More: Rolando Romero Tells Ryan Garcia to “Go Fight a Tequila Bottle and Some Xannies” After Announcing Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz Fight

Do you agree with Ryan Garcia’s views? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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