Ryan Garcia vs. Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is still in negotiations, looking at a possible weight of 144 lbs for their welterweight clash in May in Times Square in Manhattan, New York. This is Turki Al-Sheikh’s doubleheader, with Devin Haney taking on former WBC and WBO light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez in a dangerous tune.
Garcia-Cruz at 144
Fighting at welterweight isn’t ideal for the short 5’4″ Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) because he was small, even when he was fighting at lightweight. It will be interesting to see if Pitbull has more power at 144. If he is even more dangerous at that weight than he was at 140, Kingry (24-1, 20 KOs) could be in for a tough fight.
A nightmare for Turki would be Garcia and Haney losing their tune-up matches on the same night, sending them to the rematch in October on the back of humiliating losses. Ryan has a lot of pride and can 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 wants Garcia and Haney to fight after losses.
Haney’s opponent, 2012 US Olympian Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs), may have too much talent for him. This is a guy that Devin would have had trouble beating even before Ryan whipped him last April, but after that hit, he’ll be vulnerable against a puncher like Ramirez.
Haney Faces Ramirez
When Haney agreed to fight Ramirez, he may have thought he had another Regis Prograis who could come out with his jab and hold. However, Ramirez is a much better fighter than Prograis, and the tricks Haney used against Regis—constant clinch, jab and movement—won’t work as well against the experienced Ramirez. He often dealt with these types of fighters during his amateur and professional career.
Update: Talks are ongoing for #GarciaCruz… there is no financial agreement yet and it is possible to reach the weight at 144 lbs.
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— Salvador Rodriguez (@ChavaESPN) January 19, 2025
Last updated on 01/19/2025
2025-01-19 19:19:00
