Devin Haney won his first fight after the scandalous fight against Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision – the US boxer beat Jose Ramirez in the Big Apple.
In a fight that was never really in doubt, Devin “The Dream” Haney (32-0, 15 knockouts) secured a clear unanimous points victory over former world champion Jose Ramirez (29-3, 18 knockouts). The match took place at The Ring Magazine event (Fatal Fury) in front of a spectacular backdrop in New York City – in a catchweight bout at 144 pounds.
Haney, who was back in the ring for the first time since his dramatic encounter with Ryan Garcia, put in a commanding performance over the full twelve rounds. He dictated the pace from start to finish, using his outstanding footwork and precise counters to keep the aggressively forward-marching Ramirez at bay.
After a quiet first round, Haney made his first exclamation mark in the second act when he pulled off a clean right straight just before the bell. In the fourth round, an explosive uppercut caused a murmur in the audience. A clear signal as to who was in command here. The technically adept Haney always acted in a considered manner, skillfully evading attacks and repeatedly scoring points with precise combinations.
Ramirez, former WBC and WBO super lightweight world champion, thus suffered his second defeat in a row. Last November he had lost unanimously to Arnold Barboza Jr. The Californian also lacked the means to get into the fight decisively against Haney. His sometimes wild swings fizzled out ineffectively against Haney’s quick counter-attacks and ring intelligence.
Rematch against Garcia off the table
While Ryan Garcia lost to Rolando Romero on the same fight card and a potential rematch with Haney is therefore off the table for the time being, the unbeaten Haney may now have his eyes set on higher goals: a third world title in a third weight class. As the number one challenger for Mario Barrios’ WBC welterweight world title, his next big fight could be just around the corner.
Haney, who once dominated the lightweight division, seems more determined than ever to make his mark in boxing history – as a multi-weight world champion with ambitions of major success.