Devin Haney Promotions says a rematch with Ryan Garcia is scheduled for September 5 at Allegiant Stadium, potentially setting the stage for the rivalry to resume later this year.

The claim appeared on social media from Haney’s promotional website, pointing to a second meeting on the same card in Las Vegas two weeks before Floyd Mayweather’s Sept. 19 rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

If the date holds, the fight will bring the two rivals together again more than two years after their cluttered first meeting in April 2024.

In that fight, Garcia scored multiple knockdowns en route to a decision victory, which was later ruled a no contest after testing positive for Ostarine.

Haney has since returned to form and won the WBO welterweight title with a decision victory over Brian Norman Jr.

Garcia vs. Haney II

Despite the controversy surrounding the original result, the demand for a rematch never went away.

Few in boxing doubt that the Garcia vs. Haney II would make the most sense next. Both fighters currently hold world titles, which means that if the fight goes ahead, the rivalry will develop into a welterweight unification.

The matchup has been the focus of the most significant conversations in the division in recent months.

As World Boxing News reported earlier this month, the welterweight title picture around Garcia and Haney has gradually narrowed as other options narrowed due to mandatory obligations and injuries.

Garcia has also been outspoken about a possible fight with Shakur Stevenson, and Haney has been linked to talks with Rolando “Rolly” Romero.

However, these moves could easily be considered a smokescreen if both sides are focused on a rematch.

Unfinished business

Garcia, the WBC champion after a convincing victory over Mario Barrios, would likely enter the rematch as the favorite despite losses from the first meeting.

The Recent York State Athletic Commission later changed the result to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive, but the way he repeatedly dropped Haney in the fight still affects how many people will see the second fight.

In his conversation with him, Romero also bluntly assessed the competition The Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer.

“They could have fought a hundred times. Ryan takes him down a hundred times.”

This view may be extreme, but it underscores a broader sense that this rivalry is still unresolved.

With Haney Promotions now pointing to September 5 at Allegiant Stadium, the spotlight is back on Garcia vs. Haney II, which makes the most sense for both men right now.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN on Wednesday that undefeated IBF heavyweight title qualifier Richard Torrez Jr. against Frank Sanchez on March 28, will be sidelined after Sanchez’s injury.

Torrez Jr. (14-0, 12 KO) was scheduled to face Sanchez (27-1, 18 KO, 1 No Contest) in the PPV opener of Sebastian Fundora’s WBC junior middleweight title defense against Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, Cuban Sanchez was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury. Sources tell ESPN that inflammation of Sanchez’s surgically repaired right knee will force the fight to be postponed to a later date.

Torrez Jr. and Sanchez are ranked No. 9 and 10, respectively, in ESPN’s heavyweight rankings. The winner would become the mandatory challenger to the title of Aleksander Usyk, who currently holds the IBF, WBC and WBA titles.

Usyk will put his WBC title on the line against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. Usyk recently stated that he has three fights left before he calls it a career, and the winner of Torrez and Sanchez is not on his list.

“Listen, Rico [Verhoeven] this is the first. Secondly, who will win, [WBO champion Fabio] Wardley or [Daniel] Dubois and the third fight is my friend, the greedy belly Tyson Fury,” Usyk told Inside the Ring.

Torrez Jr. beat Tomas Salk last November, and Sanchez defeated Ramon Olivas Echeverria via third-round TKO in February.

His promoter Frank Warren says Fury’s return is intended to restart Fury’s run towards another major fight before the end of the summer.

“Tyson has his finger on the pulse and knows what he wants to do,” Warren told DAZN, discussing Fury’s plans for the rest of the year. “I can’t feel it [Anthony Joshua] he will be ready, but if he is there and wants it, Tyson is there. If he doesn’t, Tyson will want to fight a substantial fight in August or September. That’s what he wants.”

The most discussed option remains a meeting with Anthony Joshua. Fans have waited years for the all-British heavyweight clash that once seemed inevitable when both men held world titles at the same time. Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh had previously considered the possibility of staging the fight this summer, but Joshua’s involvement in a stern car crash in Nigeria tardy last year caused uncertainty over the timetable for his return to the ring.

Warren said Fury’s focus is firmly on competition this year after spending most of last year on outside projects.

“The past year has been about his TV series, other commitments and the documentary,” Warren said. “This year it’s about getting the number one position and that’s where his head is.”

If Joshua isn’t ready by tardy summer, other options may become available. WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley has already expressed interest in fighting Fury if he successfully defends his belt against Daniel Dubois on May 9.

Wardley previously said he offered Fury the fight earlier in the year, before both men moved on to other fights.

“I said, ‘Listen, if you want to go straight away, we can go straight away, no problem,’” Wardley told Sky Sports. “But if he wants a little warm-up and wants to go through it and see how he feels, then frosty. I’ll still be ready and I’ll be waiting when I’m done with Daniel for a substantial fight.”

For now, Fury’s main goal remains an April return against Makhmudov. If Warren gets through this fight injury-free, Warren expects the former champion to compete in a major event later in the year, and Joshua’s fight is still something most fans want to see.