Ryan Garcia vs. Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is still in negotiations, eyeing a possible weight of 144 pounds for their welterweight clash in May in Times Square in Manhattan, New York. This is Turki Al-Sheikh’s doubleheader event, with Devin Haney fighting former WBC and WBO light welterweight champion José Ramírez in a risky setup.
García-Cruz at 144
Fighting at welterweight is not ideal for the short 5’4″ Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) because he was small, even when fighting at lightweight. It will be interesting to see if Pitbull has more power at 144. If so Even more dangerous at that weight than at 140, Kingry (24-1, 20 KOs) could have a tough fight.
A nightmare for Turki would be if Garcia and Haney lost their warm-up fights on the same night, sending them into their October rematch after humiliating defeats. Ryan has a lot of pride and could resist fighting Haney without at least trying to avenge his loss to Cruz by fighting him in October. It would be up to Turki if he still wanted Garcia and Haney to fight after losses.
Haney’s opponent, 2012 U.S. Olympian José Ramírez (29-2, 18 KOs), might have too much talent for him. This is a guy Devin would have had trouble beating even before Ryan beat him last April, but after that beatdown, he’ll be vulnerable against a puncher like Ramirez.
Haney faces Ramírez
When Haney agreed to fight Ramirez, he might have thought he had another Regis Prograis he could outmatch with his striking and grappling. However, Ramirez is a much better fighter than Prograis, and the tricks Haney used against Regis (clinches, striking and constant movement) will not work as well against the experienced Ramirez. He has often dealt with such fighters during his amateur and professional career.
Update: Talks continue for #GarcíaCruz…there is still no economic agreement and it is possible to reach a weight of 144 pounds.
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Last updated on 01/19/2025