Derek “Bozy” Ennis, trainer and father of welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, expressed strong doubts about Ryan Garcia’s intentions regarding making weight for his recent bout against Devin Haney.
According to Ennis, Garcia seemed to have played psychological games with Haney from the start but was genuinely prepared for the fight. Ennis highlighted that getting down to the 140-pound limit was likely too challenging for Garcia. Despite a hefty $500,000 per pound bet with Haney, Ennis believes that Garcia did not intentionally fail to make weight. Observations during the training camp indicated that Garcia was not restricting his diet adequately, looking noticeably heavier than ideal weeks before the fight. This misjudgment seemed evident when Garcia procrastinated on starting his weight cut during the fight week, ultimately beginning too late to achieve the required weight.
Ennis reiterated his view that Garcia never really aimed to meet the weight limit. Despite attempts to cut down, the effort was insufficient, and if Garcia had forced the weight loss, it would have left him too drained to compete effectively. Ennis also speculated about the future, suggesting a potential mega-fight between Haney, who might move up to 147 pounds, and his son, Boots.
Meanwhile, Bill Haney, Devin’s father, commented on the financial and physical toll the situation would take on Garcia, predicting that it could significantly impact Garcia's performance and potentially lead to his professional loss. At the weigh-in, Haney appeared physically drained, showing signs of fatigue but not as severely as in previous fights.
Image Credit: Golden Boy Promotions