Ryan Garcia and Bill Haney in fiery exchange ahead of Times Square event

Ryan Garcia gets set to take on Rolando Romero in Times Square, New York in the early hours of Saturday morning, but it's his long-standing feud with Devin Haney that has attracted most of the attention during fight week.

Both Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney get set to step in the ring for the first time since 20th April 2024 this weekend, and tensions are seemingly high amongst the two camps already.

While Garcia will take on Romero, Haney will go head-to-head with Jose Carlos Ramirez in New York.

Both fighters are expected to come out of their respective bouts unscathed, with many viewing this as a warm-up for the inevitable Garcia v Haney 2, likely to be scheduled for October 2025.

Controversy surrounded the first fight between the pair, declared a no contest due to Garcia testing positive for a banned substance, despite winning on the night.

Bill Haney, Devin Haney’s father and trainer, has remained vocal throughout Devin Haney’s camp, highlighting the importance of using this fight as preparation for a potential rematch with Garcia.

At a media workout just days before the all-important card in New York, Ryan Garcia and Bill Haney exchanged words in a heated altercation.

While it’s unclear as to what Bill Haney was saying in the exchange, Fight Hub TV captured Garcia’s fiery response.

He said:

You know what happened to your son last time. I wouldn’t be talking. You talk a lot for what happened.

“I’ve never heard Devin talk, not once. You know how we came last time.

“You don’t want to get us going Bill.”

The spectators at the event responded positively to Garcia’s response, repeatedly chanting Ryan’s name in what must be a practical boost for the fighter.

Despite all the noise, Garcia remained composed in the workout, working on the pads for a matter of minutes.

Will the ongoing feud between the Garcia and Haney camp distract the pair from getting the job done at Times Square, or will it merely provide a motivational factor as the eagerly anticipated rematch awaits?

Ellis Statham

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