Oscar De La Hoya Declares Devin Haney A "Shot Fighter" After Garcia Win

Devin Haney's Future in Doubt: Oscar De La Hoya Weighs In

Oscar De La Hoya speaking at an interview / You Tube Screenshot.

By Kemboi Robert

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya believes a rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney in 2025 is unlikely. He views Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) as a “shot fighter” following his loss to Garcia last April.

Haney has shown little interest in returning to the ring, which might indicate he's been emotionally impacted. If he's lost his self-confidence, his career could be in jeopardy. Devin's decision to sue Ryan Garcia for battery, fraud, and unjust enrichment is interpreted by some fans as a sign of giving up. Haney must realize that filing a lawsuit could jeopardize his chances of getting back into the ring.

“I just had him in my office 30 minutes ago. We have big plans for Ryan Garcia’s return,” Oscar De La Hoya told the media when asked about Garcia’s future. “We need to address this frivolous lawsuit against us, but that’s just noise.”

“How can you sue someone who beat the crap out of you in the ring? It doesn’t make sense. If it were me, I’d call that fighter out and take care of business in the ring. As for Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney 2 being the biggest fight in 2025, I don’t think so; I believe Devin Haney is a shot fighter.”

De La Hoya has said that he met Garcia for a meeting. He advised the boxer on how to bounce back strongly, especially given his own experiences with substance abuse and issues outside the ring. De La Hoya was confident that Garcia would be back in a good place.

“First things first. We’ve got to get Ryan back to the place where he belongs, and that’s in the gym. I saw him right now; he’s in great spirits. He’s doing awesome and he’s focused. What has happened in the past, he’s learned. He’s grown as a young man. “I gave him a good nice speech about my experiences and how I’ve been through hell and back. I’m a man with the experience that can tell this young man, ‘It’s okay,” De La Hoya stated

Devin Haney was always going to get knocked out one day. The biggest risk he took was Ryan Garcia because before that he fought smaller guys or old guys. He never built himself to be durable enough to take punishment. This has exposed the brand and they can’t handle this.