Joe Cortez predicts the Haney vs García fight. (Images: 'X' Joe Cortez / Ryan García)

Joe Cortez predicts on Devin Haney vs Ryan García

By Jose Corpas

Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez made his prediction about the fight between Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia, ¿who the legendary referee will have opted for?.

“Now that I’m retired, I can make a prediction,” the Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez mentioned. “First time I saw Haney was in Mesquite, Nevada. I asked him who his trainer was and he pointed to his father.” Haney was ten years old at the time but the referee Cortez recognized something special. “He’s a future champ – there’s no way he doesn’t become a champ,” he told Bill Haney.

“García is a nice guy, always a gentleman when I met him,” says Joe Cortez of Haney’s opponent. “They’re both nice guys. And both are good fighters.” but when asked if he has been able to keep up with the promotions Cortez mentioned “It’s been a mess, he came in three pounds heavy, and there’s all the claims about his mental health.”

Along side the promotion in the past few months, you would be excused for thinking we never would have made it this far. A bizarre series of tweets, proclamations, and actions by Ryan García led many to think that it would be contender Arnold Barboza subbing for Garcia and challenging for the WBC super lightweight title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

But García, with a record of 24W-1L, 20 KOs, has so far, survived the turmoil of the past few weeks and will be in the ring to fight Haney, with a undisputed record of 31-0 and 15 KOs.

The WBC title, however, will not be his if he should win since he checked in at more than 3 pounds over the contracted weight of 140 pounds. The extra weight will cost him. He will pay a fine, and a fee to Haney, for coming in overweight. Later tonight, we will see if he pays a price for his recent shenanigans.

¿Ryan García is aware of his mental health?

Others people are concerned about the mental state of García. The New York State Athletic Commission requested he undergo a mental health evaluation. García underwent and passed successfully a series of tests including a brain function test.

“I felt demeaned… I definitely felt isolated and I felt targeted,” told Ryan García to ESPN. “I didn’t feel good about them wanting to do a mental evaluation. It kind of makes me doubt myself. It kind of hurt me and, like, if this causes real mental issues, I’m going to sue you.”

This concerns are more valid because more than two years ago, García he told DAZN, he considered taking his own life at that time. “I just had a lot of different thoughts, suicidal thoughts, I went through a tough time but I battled through it.”

With this in mind Joe Cortez thinks Garcia should be fighting. “There’s a lot of mental illness in boxing. A lot of boxers, when they’re young, have social issues, behavior issues, so they’re told to try boxing because it’s a good sport for building your self-esteem.”

The Hall of Faame referre told that he wouldn’t be concerned about refereeing a fight with Garcia or anyone else in his situation. “If I see something I don’t like, I’ll bring in the ringside doctors and let them make that decision.”

The prediction of Joe Cortez in Haney vs García?

“Haney in six rounds,” he says without pausing to think. “García is good – fast, nice left hook. And he fought Haney in the amateurs. But I know what I saw when he was ten years old and I know what I see now – Haney is a special talent.”

Haney has developed into one of the game’s better talents. He is on a solid run that has seen him beat some of the best like Vasyl Lomachenko, George Kambosos, and Regis Prograis. It’s a resume García may never match. The García’s erratic behavior on social media like Instagram or X put this fight in jeopardy, it also is the reason he is in this position.

After Anthony Joshua and Canelo Alvarez, García has the most social media followers than any other active boxer. His fight last year against Gervonta Davis was the only boxing card of 2023 to draw more than a million PPV buys.

If tonight’s fight comes close to that, it will confirm his status as a top draw. But will he continue to be a draw if he loses? Would Haney inherit any of Garcia’s followers? Perhaps but it’s up to the result of tonight fight.

Garcia’s supporters say that there is no need to be concerned about Garcia’s antics, that his methods appeal to a younger demographic and that his way – or a version of it – should be the way that future fights should be promoted. The promoter of Ryan García, Oscar DeLaHoya, says that the zany antics worked, that Garcia has “gotten inside” of Haney’s head for the match up.

The ticket sales to this match have been slow and there have some sections where pricing was reduced. If the promotion is a success, many feel it will have been in large part because of Garcia’s antics. If the turnout and PPV sales are disappointing, again, many feel it will be because of Garcia’s antics.

With this problematic Haney is on a no-win situation according to the referee Joe Cortez. “He will stop him in six,” he repeated. “He has a bright future.”

Garcia’s future is not as certain as Haney. Should he lose, it will be interesting to see if his following remains as strong. Either way, Cortez says to García he should remain active and keep trying. Even if he has mental illness, even if his popularity drops, “He’s probably better off boxing than he would be without it”.

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