Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia were scheduled to throw out the first pitches Tuesday at Citi Field before the game in which New York Mets will be the host Pittsburgh Pirates.

– Chris Mannix reported that Mets officials had concerns after a brawl at the Empire State Building earlier in the day, when the two took a photo for a petite amount of press and two giant entourages. Ultimately, Haney and Garcia were denied their first on-field assignments.

All in all, it’s a sensible decision. The Mets are not really committed to promoting Saturday’s Haney vs. Garcia fight and have nothing to gain, and as a result they look bad and/or embarrassed if you engage in a typical shoving session, not to mention the level of language used whenever these two are in the same place. In tiny, the Mets are not in the business of selling sanctioned violence to the public.

Garcia and promoter Oscar De La Hoya shared a reaction video. It’s about how you can imagine the reaction of people who aren’t used to their presence, of being unwanted by people who don’t care who they are and who have better things to do than helping them build their “brand”.

Haney will defend his WBC super lightweight title against Garcia on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Mets won the game3-1.

Deontay Wilder talks about being the ‘captain’ of Matchroom Boxing as he approaches his June 1 fight with Zhilei Zhang. In particular, Wilder claims to feel better working with a group of people who encourage him to commit murders in the ring, rather than trying to force him to limit his rhetoric for broader public consumption. Check out what Wilder had to say below.

Wilder signed with Matchroom after a long stay at PBC

“To be apart of Matchroom and the captain, how ironic, but at the same time special and sweet. A wise ancient man once told me that if you do business even with people you don’t like, then business is business, treat it accordingly.

“Sometimes you may have to work with people you’ll never see for 1,000 years, but ultimately, being around a person for that long, understanding their way of being as they understand your actions, you know what kind of category or place, where you can place them when they are in your environment.

“So if you know how to deal with a person, you can get along with them, you are able to coexist with them.”

How he rejuvenated himself and regained that spark after losing to Joseph Parker

“The last one was a blessing in disguise. I thought I had it all figured out, and when you think you have it all figured out and you’re going through something else – you probably think things aren’t as polished as you thought until you realize when you get into a fight like hell: some more is lacking. And that’s a blessing in disguise, because after that fight on Monday morning, I hit the ground running.

“That’s why I can’t wait to show what I feel here. You know, I lost my love for boxing. I have lost that fire and drive because of many things that have happened to me in my life. And people don’t understand that as a fighter you’re much more outside the ring. We still have business issues, we still have personal issues, and then we have to deal with life itself. It’s fate. Then come and try to be the best you can be in your career. We have to deal with this, we are not robots.

“The main thing that excites me is that I’m working with people who want to see this monster, who want to see this killer, who won’t judge me for saying I want to kill man and I put them on my record, just as the world did for various reasons.

On how he views his fight against Zhilei Zhang

“I have the utmost respect for him. He’s a fighter and I think he’s a damn good fighter too, so I’ll definitely have to put him on my A-game. He understands what he’s up against and what I bring, and I understand what I struggle with and what I often present. Two bangers, that’s a good fight. It’s a really amazing fight, I can’t wait for it.

“I didn’t do what I wanted in the last fight, so I owe something to the Saudi fans. I owe them some emotion. I owe them a knockout. I owe them a great victory. I can’t wait for June 1 to knock out Matchroom.”

Puerto Rican prospect Xander Zayas is ready for his first main event, as Top Rank announced today that the 21-year-old super welterweight champion will meet former interim champion Patrick Teixeira during an ESPN appearance on June 8 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

This is the third 10-round appearance for Zayas (18-0, 12 KO), although he needed less than 10 rounds to eliminate Roberto Valenzuela Jr and Jorge Fortea. He immediately called for a February fight with Teixeira (34-4, 25 KO) after the latter was stopped, which was obviously not possible within two months, but now he is getting his wish on his biggest stage yet.

Brazil’s Teixeira, as Scott put it, has had a bumpy path. He clearly grew into his candidacy when Curtis Stevens punched him in 2016, but five fights later he returned to the scene and shocked then-undefeated Carlos Adames to win the WBO interim belt. What followed was a three-fight, bunny-knockout skid sandwiched between decision losses to the very talented Brian Castano and Magomed Kurbanov.

He’s back on board after three wins over delicate competition in his native Brazil and should give us a good idea of ​​where Zayas fits into the picture at 154 pounds.

Zayas said: “Representing Puerto Rico on a day when Boricua culture is celebrated and honored is a sacred commitment I make to my people. On June 8, I will no longer fight only for myself. I will fight on behalf of every Puerto Rican who always perseveres when the going gets tough. This is my first main event and my first fight against a former world champion. I intend to carry my flag and make it shine on one of the greatest stages in the world, the “Mecca of Boxing.”

Teixeira said: “It took longer than expected, but this fight has finally come. I can’t wait to get in the ring and announce the division. I already did it once when I won the world title against Adames on Top Rank, and I’ll do it again with one of their rising stars. Zayas is a great talent and everyone will support him during this significant weekend. But my experience will make a difference and I will show it on June 8.

In this joint fight, former amateur standout Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (11-0, 7 KO) will face Jose Enrique Vivas (23-3, 12 KO). Carrington’s stock hit an all-time high following the firing of Bernardo Torres in February, and while it’s not a significant gain, it should be nice. Vivas can give his all, even if he has peaked after losses to Ruben Villa, Eduardo Baez and Joet Gonzalez.

Carrington said: “Vivas should be my toughest opponent yet, but as I do every time I fight in Shu York City, I intend to put on a crowd-pleasing performance. Fighting in front of massive Puerto Rican fans is something special. I can’t wait for June 8.”

Undercard highlights include Jahi Tucker’s (10-1-1, 5 KO) comeback attempt against veteran Quincy LaVallais (17-4-1, 12 KO) and recent fights against multiple undefeated players such as Delante “Tiger” Johnson (12 -0, 6 KO) and Elijah Flores (8-0, 3 KO).