"That’s a confidence booster” - Ryan Garcia can afford to “take chances” against Devin Haney, says former world champion
Ryan Garcia will be hoping to win his first boxing world title when he faces off against Devin Haney on April 20th for the WBC super lightweight title.
Having met six times in the amateur ranks, both fighters will be familiar with each other's style. With both boxers well into their professional careers, it will be fascinating to see which pugilist has improved more since their last meeting in 2014.
The WBC champion is currently marked as a -800 favorite, with the challenger marked at +550. But, according to former world champion Bernard Hopkins, who also operates as Garcia's co-promoter at Golden Boy Promotions, 'KingRy' can afford to take risks against Haney.
Hopkins believes that 'The Dream' does not possess the power to hurt his opponent. The former champion was recently interviewed by Fighthype.com, where he said:
"I think that he can take chances with Devin Haney because last time I've seen him fight multiple fights, he never hurts anybody. Can he outwork you? Absolutely. But when you're in there with a guy that you know you can take more chances with than not, that's a confidence booster for anybody that's on the other end. That's Ryan Garcia... You can take more chances with a guy that can't hurt you."
Watch Bernard Hopkins preview Garcia's chances against Haney below from 0:00:
Ryan Garcia receives advice from Roy Jones Jr. ahead of Devin Haney fight
Devin Haney will be hoping to defend the WBC super lightweight title for the first time on April 20th, while Ryan Garcia is eager to prove he is the superior boxer of the two, and claim a world title in the process.
'KingRy' will hold the speed advantage heading into the fight, and his notorious left-hook will be an ever-present danger for Haney to look out for. But according to boxing legend and former world champion, Roy Jones Jr., it would be unwise for Garcia to rely on one weapon.
Jones Jr. was known for his ability to end a fight with one punch, and was recently asked for his thoughts on Haney vs. Garcia during an interview with Fight Hub TV. He said:
"He can't just depend on the left hook. Everybody knows about your left hook now... Once again, Devin understands that... He should develop a few more weapons so people aren't just looking for the left hook. They don't know where it's coming from."
Watch Roy Jones Jr.'s advice to Ryan Garcia below from 2:20: