As Devin Haney prepares to step back into the boxing spotlight, his father and trainer, Bill Haney, has expressed optimism about the addition of veteran coach Nate Jones to their team. Jones, a former Olympic bronze medalist and trainer, is expected to help Haney refine his skills, particularly on defense, as the fighter looks to return stronger than ever.
“He’s spent a lot of time with Devin as a young fighter, so we just think that he was a great addition. We just want to just tighten up on our defense. We wanna be more defensive conscious,” his father told Fight Hub TV.
He also commanded Devin for his performance against Garcia: “I think that Devin was answering and into pleasing the fans with the last fight and the last style that he showed. Like I said, he showed tremendous heart. He stepped to Ryan Garcia, who is a puncher, a fast-quick puncher, and he got hit with the left hook numerous times,” he explained.
Haney has been training rigorously in preparation for his next fight in March, which is expected to be announced soon. “He’s been hitting fast. He’s been doing a lot of his running. We’re gonna start doing some sparring this week,” Bill said.
Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“At his young age of 26, he’s had 31 [professional] fights with 138 amateur fights. His body needed a well-deserved rest, and I was happy he said that he was gonna take a year off,” he explained. “I think we’ve shown that we’re working on eliminating any of those [defensive] holes,” Bill noted.
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Fans still expect a Garcia rematch
While Ryan Garcia 24-1, 20 KOs) initially defeated Haney in their previous bout, the result was later overturned to a no contest after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine in two separate drug tests. Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) was made ‘Champion In Recess’ by the WBC.
The highly anticipated rematch between Haney and Garcia has been a topic of discussion among fans, but it won’t materialize in the near future. Devin is slated to return to the ring before Garcia’s suspension is lifted, leaving the timeline for a potential second bout between the two fighters uncertain.
At first, Garcia refused the idea of a rematch, but it looks like he’s had a change of heart. In an interview with Manouk Akopyan, he said he’s open to running it back—as long as it’s at a higher weight. “Run it back the same way, just a little higher weight class,” he expressed.
Garcia has not yet confirmed his return to professional boxing, but he is anticipated to make a comeback at some point in 2025 as he looks to recover from the challenges he faced in the past year.
