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Ryan Garcia and Devin Haynie could be coming close to disappointing losses on their May co-headlining card in New York's Times Square. Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) fights Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz, while Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) takes on former WBC/WBO 140-lb champion Jose Ramirez on the Turki Al-Sheikh card.
Impact of layoffs
Ryan and Haynie picked the wrong opponents to fight after a 13-month layoff. The 2012 Olympian Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) and former WBA welterweight champion Pitbull Cruz are not the right opponents for any fighter to face after a year off. Those two would be a nightmare for Garcia and Devin even if they were active.
If Kingry and Haney had good shot resistance and could handle the basket shot, facing Ramirez and Cruz wouldn't be a big deal. This is not the case. Both are fragile fighters who have been broken in battle.
Garcia-Cruz will fight at a catch weight of 143 or 144 at welterweight, and that is perfect for the powerful 5’4″ Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KO). In Pitbull's two fights at 140 against Jose 'Rayo' Valenzuela and Rolando 'Rolly' Romero, he hit with more power.
Rayo probably would have been knocked out if he hadn't used his new Lomachenko-style movement to avoid the constant pressure from Cruz. Kingry doesn't have the same ability to move and will be forced to fight for three minutes of each round at close range. If Ryan can't hurt Pitbull, he's going to be in trouble.
50-50 Battles
Turki gave fans two great 50-50 fights with his Garcia-Cruz & Haney-Ramirez double match in Times Square. If he's okay with the possibility of Ryan and Devin losing their fights, that's great. Al-Sheikh is already planning a rematch between Garcia and Haynie in October in Riyadh. This fight will be tainted if one or both of them lose their settings in May.
That's a better deal for PPV fans than if these two were fed canned tomatoes, as is the custom for rich, high-profile fighters expecting extended cuts.
Jose Ramirez lost to highly ranked undefeated welterweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. by unanimous decision in 10 rounds on November 16. This fight was competitive.
If Barboza Jr. was stationary, he wouldn't have won because Ramirez worked him over when he was in the pocket. Devin doesn't have the same evasive style as Barboza, nor does he possess his power. He won't be able to do the same things he did to fight Ramirez.
