Devin Haney insists a year on the sidelines has sharpened, not dulled, his edge. On 2 May the former two-division champion faces ex-unified titlist José Ramírez beneath the neon canyons of Times Square, co-headlining the SNK-branded Fatal Fury: City of Wolves card that also features Ryan Garcia-Rolando Romero and Teófimo Lopez-Arnold Barboza Jr. The DAZN PPV spectacle marks the first professional boxing event ever staged at the Manhattan landmark.
Haney hasn’t boxed since last April’s no-contest against Garcia, but told DAZN he plans to unleash his “full arsenal” and “bring fireworks,” vowing to show “how much better I’ve gotten over this last year.” Many question how rest translates into improvement; Haney counters that time away healed lingering hand injuries and reset the mental circuits that fuelled his undisputed run at 135 lbs.
Watch Haney training in the mountains before Ramirez fight: Watch
There is no margin for rust as Ramírez remains a high-volume pressure fighter. A victory would keep Haney’s October rematch with Garcia on the Saudi calendar; a loss could reroute him into a tougher road against WBO boss Teófimo Lopez or IBF ruler Richardson Hitchins. “So many factors go into being a champion,” Haney said. “How you take a loss, how you come back. This is my chance to show I’m still levels above.”
Ramírez scoffed at talk of Haney’s fireworks. “He’ll need more than pyrotechnics to keep me off,” the Californian told Mexican radio. Insiders see the southpaw’s body attack, plus Haney’s modest KO ratio, as the key tactical questions: can the champion-in-waiting keep the fight long, or will Ramírez drag him into trenches he hasn’t visited since the Kambosos series?
DAZN’s global PPV price is expected to mirror April’s Eubank-Benn show (£19.95 UK / $24.99 US), though official numbers are still pending. The Times Square ring will seat just 300 VIPs, with the public free to gather behind barricades - an ultramodern echo of 1920s Jack Dempsey street exhibitions. If Haney is truly reloaded, New York’s most famous crossroads could witness both fireworks and a fighter reclaiming lost momentum in real time.
Image Credit: The Ring