Mexican-American fighter Ryan Garcia faced off in a press conference before the main event fight against Devin “The Dream” Haney next month at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
This week, WBC Super Lightweight Champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and international PPV star “King” Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) encountered each other at the promotional press conference hosted in Los Angeles.
The fight will be presented by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, Haney Promotions, KingRy Promotions, and Matchroom Boxing.
Devin Haney reminded the press that he grew up in the ring together with Ryan, but that he has also lost respect for him now that he’s the fighting target.
DEVIN “THE DREAM” HANEY, WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION:
“I have respect for Ryan. We shared the ring six times as kids, we came up together. However, over the last few days, I have lost a lot of respect for him because 1- we have a fight, look at how much media are here to watch us. I am a true professional in everything that I do. I am happy to be here. I worked hard to be here. I sacrificed a lot to be here, and at the end of the day, the world will see it on April 20.”
As for the Mexican-American fighter, Garcia shared an emotional message relating to his upbringing and all the barriers that he and his family had to face before reaching stardom in the sport of boxing.
“KING” RYAN GARCIA, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
“I want to paint the picture for all of you. My family had lost everything. We were sleeping in cars. Five kids, one bedroom, with a dream, and with God we just let him lead our lives. And through that whole process, I had to grind it out. Everything that I have today, I earned it. Nobody gave me a handout, I never had money. I’m really a small town boy and I am just growing into a man.”
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya says that this is the combat of the year, also emphasizing that both of these fighters shared the ring several times when they were much younger, and they have the ability to relive those moments once again with a title on the line.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY:
“Welcome to the fight of the year! For years, from their days as decorated amateur champions, through their rise up the ladder of the professional ranks, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia have been circling one another. They fought six times in the amateurs with both of them winning three apiece. Now they meet with championship gold and the chance at being the face of American boxing on the line. In other words, this one counts!”