Ryan Garcia reveals how Floyd Mayweather’s “influence” changed his preference of opponent from Devin Haney to Rolando Romero
Ryan Garcia recently disclosed how Floyd Mayweather convinced him to switch his preferred opponent from Devin Haney to Rolando Romero.
Garcia and Haney have been engaged in an ongoing exchange on social media in their efforts to book a potential showdown. Despite Oscar De La Hoya also indicating that the fight was close to being confirmed, 'KingRy' earlier hinted that the highly anticipated super fight might be off the table in favor of facing Romero instead.
During a recent interview with FightHype (via Boxing News 24), Garcia revealed that Mayweather, who promotes Romero, initially influenced his decision to opt for a bout against Romero instead of 'The Dream':
"I’m not going to lie, Floyd’s pretty influential. He’s like, ‘Why would you do that? Why don’t you fight 'Rolly' for the belt and then fight Haney?' I said, 'That makes sense, but I told the people already I’m going to fight Devin.' He said, 'Some things change.' I’m paraphrasing, but I quickly decided, 'Alright, Floyd, that makes sense'."
However, Garcia's negotiations with 'Rolly' didn’t go far as the WBA light welterweight champion made a deal to defend his title against Isaac Cruz on March 30. Interestingly, 'KingRy' has now shifted his focus back to potentially facing Haney and confirmed that negotiations with both teams have resumed.
Floyd Mayweather puts Ryan Garcia among current top three boxers
Floyd Mayweather recognizes Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, and former opponent Canelo Alvarez as the current top three stars in the sport.
Garcia and Mayweather were spotted enjoying an evening together earlier this month in Las Vegas. During their meeting, 'Money' spoke with Inside Fighting, commending Garcia's performance against Oscar Duarte and naming him as one of the present top three attractions in the boxing scene. He said:
"There are some heavy hitters in the game right now but there’s only really three. Canelo, Ryan and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. A lot of time, people think well, I got a belt. I’m a star. I got two belts. In today’s time, they think belts and a few million dollars makes you a star."
Check out Floyd Mayweather's comments below:
Garcia staged a remarkable comeback after losing to Davis in their highly anticipated clash last April. In December, he secured victory over Duarte with an eighth-round knockout following a commanding display.