If they run it back next, the stakes change. Both would enter with belts, and the bout would carry unification implications at welterweight.
Ryan spent Thursday night posting repeatedly on X about a second fight with Haney. He pushed it hard, shared a “Garcia vs Haney 2” graphic, and wrote in blunt terms.
“Haney, if it’s time to end you, it’s time,” Garcia posted. “You will be erased… Mark my words you’ll never fight again after this… War has been declared.”
Haney answered with a different type of message.
“Let’s start our VADA testing so we can make the biggest fight in boxing!”
That is the point. Haney is trying to set the terms before anything moves forward. Weight limit. Year-round VADA testing. After the first fight unraveled, he wants formal safeguards in place before the rematch becomes official.
Their 2024 fight never produced a clean ending. Garcia won by majority decision but missed weight, which meant Haney kept his WBC title. After that came failed drug tests and legal fallout, and the argument moved beyond the scorecards.
That history explains why the rematch discussion returns to the same issues: contracted weight and testing. A welterweight unification with VADA in place removes the old dispute.
The timing is notable. Kingry had recently shown interest in fighting Shakur Stevenson, a different matchup with its own appeal. Stevenson’s name was absent from Thursday’s posts. Haney’s was not.
Everything Garcia posted points to the same goal: he wants Haney next.
There are still obstacles. Haney has a lawsuit tied to the first fight. The deal will need firm language on weight, testing, and money. None of that is minor. Yet Garcia’s tone suggests this is the priority.
If they finalize it, welterweight gets the version of Garcia-Haney that should have happened the first time.
Ryan sounds convinced he can end the rivalry. If he truly wants it next, agreeing to the same weight and testing terms Haney is demanding is the only way to make that claim hold up.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, recognized for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reporting focuses on major bouts, divisional developments, and the sport’s most discussed storylines.