Ryan Garcia vs. Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is still in talks, looking at a possible 144lbs first division for their welterweight clash in May in Times Square in Manhattan, New York. This is Turki Al-Sheikh’s bout, where Devin Hannay takes on former WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Jose Ramirez in a risky schedule.
Garcia-Cruz in 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 fought at lightweight. It will be interesting to see if Pitbull has more power at 144. If he’s even more dangerous at that weight than he was at 140, Kingry (24-1, 20 KOs) could be in for a tough fight.
It would be a nightmare for Turki if Garcia and Haynie lose their set-up matches on the same night, sending them into the October rematch without a back-to-back 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 instead. It would be up to Turkey if he would still want Garcia and Haynie to fight after the loss.
Hani’s opponent, 2012 US Olympian Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs), may 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 beating him, he’ll be vulnerable against a hitter like Ramirez.
Haney Faces Ramirez
When Hannay agreed to fight Ramirez, he may have thought he had another Regis Prograis to box with his jab and hold. However, Ramirez is a much better fighter than Prograis, and the tricks that Hannay used against Regis — constant jabbing, jabbing and movement — won’t work as well against the experienced Ramirez. He often dealt with these types of fighters throughout his amateur and professional career.
Update: Negotiations continue for #GarciaCruz… there is no economic agreement yet and a weight of 144 pounds is possible.
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— Salvador Rodriguez (@ChavaESPN) January 19, 2025
Last updated on 01/19/2025