Eddie Hearn has revealed details about a rehydration request he got for Ryan Garcia prior to his surprising victory over Devin Haney last Saturday. Garcia delivered a stunning performance that left the world in awe, sending Haney to the canvas three times at the Barclays Centre over the weekend.
Despite his win, he was unable to claim the title of WBC super lightweight champion due to his failure to meet the weight requirement. As a result, Haney held onto his belt despite the defeat. In an interview with Boxing News, Hearn shared information about the discussions he had with Haney’s team regarding a weigh-in on the day of the fight to determine Garcia’s level of rehydration.
Eddie Hearn said that his team at Matchroom thought that there should have been a re-weigh-in on Saturday. Instead, they chose not to push, which he thought was a mistake. However, he does agree that Devin’s method for rehydrating works very well.
Hearn then hinted that if Haney’s team had been more assertive, the fight may not have materialized.
Hearn continued, “Now maybe Ryan Garcia was the type of guy who would have walked away and gone OK, don’t worry about it, I won’t fight, and I’m sure that was a concern for Bill. Bill wanted the fight, everybody thought they could win the fight regardless of the weight.”
The British promoter then mentioned that while there was a financial penalty for missing weight, there is also a concern about the significant advantage that a fighter can have if they rehydrate to a much higher weight than their opponent.
Following the bout, Garcia has hinted at the possibility of moving up in weight class once again, while Haney expresses a strong desire for a rematch with both fighters at the appropriate championship weight.
Eddie Hearn provides Ryan Garcia vs Devin Haney rematch update
Eddie Hearn suggests that Devin Haney may consider a rematch with Ryan Garcia, even if it means competing in a different weight class.
However, considering Garcia’s announcement of moving up to welterweight after the fight, it raises the question of whether this would hinder a potential rematch with Haney, who currently holds the WBC’s super lightweight championship.
Hearn, who was co-promoting Haney for this event, has a different perspective on the matter, as he expressed in an interview with Boxing News.
“Listen, if the rematch is at 147, I’m sure Devin would be up for that,” Hearn said.
Hearn continued that the rematch holds immense importance, highlighting the impressive numbers generated by both fighters. He also emphasized the fact that these two individuals are currently at the peak of their careers.
Hearn concluded by stating that Ryan has numerous opportunities ahead of him. He was already a prominent figure prior to that fight, and now his stardom has only grown.
