Ryan Garcia has been hyping up his May comeback fight against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz early, saying he’s a “A tougher match than Haney.” In this case, Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) is probably right. Garcia is telling the truth.

Better than Hani?

The Bulldog fight is a lot tougher for Ryan than Haney because the guy has a steel jaw and he can punch. He doesn’t try to grab and stab to win like Haney does.

Cruz finished 12 rounds on December 5, 2021 with his best shot at Gervonta Davis, but ended up losing. He was never injured in that fight, which he lost by unanimous decision.

Cruz’s eighth-round knockout win over Rolando “Rolly” Romero on March 30 last year saw him land a number of hard blows that would have knocked out many fighters, including Haney. In Cruz’s last fight, he was defeated by Jose ‘Rayo Valenzuela in a 12-round split decision on August 3.

Cruz’s three losses

– Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela
——Gervonta Davis
– Luis Montano Alvarez

Ryan will face former WBA light welterweight champion “Pitbull” Cruz in a tag team match in Times Square, New York, in May. The event will air on DAZN PPV. Haney will face Jose Ramirez on the same card, setting up a rematch with Ryan in October.

Haney was no match for Ryan in last year’s April 20 fight, and the only reason a rematch was planned for October was because Kingry failed a PED test. With a fight as lopsided as Haney-Garcia’s, there’s usually no rematch.

Cruz (26 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, 18 KOs) has a good chin and will keep going at Ryan as long as the fight lasts. Pit bulls don’t try to bite or jab constantly like Haney does because he’s not that type of fighter. He entertains the audience without boring them.

Honey’s Boring Strategy

Haney’s two games against George Kambosos Jr. and his game against Regis Prograis were unwatchable because of all the defense he did. He did a lot of that against Ryan, especially after he was pulled in the seventh inning. Interestingly, umpire Harvey Doak penalized Garcia for a groundout in the seventh inning, but didn’t address all the defensive issues Haney did.

Ryan won with scores of 112-112, 114-110, 115-109.

I will bring an explosive fight in my fighting comeback

The Bulldogs have always been considered a tough opponent.

Tougher game than haney tbh

— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarcia) January 17, 2025