With everything to prove following a one-year layoff and a disastrous effort last time out against Ryan Garcia, all Devin Haney did on Friday in his lopsided victory over Jose Ramirez was frustrate those who were on hand in New York’s Time Square or watching from home.
Haney (32-0, 1 NC, 16 KOs), who saw his lone pro defeat changed to a no contest after Garcia failed a postfight drug test in April 2024, did little spark any excitement over a rematch in a dreadful co-main event bout on Saudi Arabian adviser Turki Alalshikh’s first “The Ring” series fight card on U.S. soil. Haney took home judges’ scores of 119-109 (twice) and 118-110 in a fight so void of action or entertainment value that it nearly set a new CompuBox mark for the fewest combined punch attempts.
For as masterful as the 26-year-old Haney was in perpetually motion to all but eliminate the output of Ramirez (29-3, 18 KOs), the 32-year-old former unified champion at 140 pounds who needs both of his feet set to throw his punches. His stubborn refusal to exchange punches to attempt to hurt Ramirez was nothing short of unforgivable from a viewing standpoint.
Was Haney still in his own head after being dropped three times by Garcia last year? Was he too fearful to let his hands go out of fear that he would be countered? We don’t yet know, mostly because the DAZN pay-per-view broadcast decided against interviewing Haney following a fight that was so void in excitement that calling it a sparring match wouldn’t even be accurate.
The two boxers combined to attempt just 503 punches over 12 rounds and connected on just 110. Haney was by far the busier puncher as he outlanded Ramirez by a margin of 70 to 40.
Haney looked good at times for short bursts and entered the fight in tremendous physical shape for this 144-pound catchweight bout that appears to signal a full-time move to welterweight in the near future. But Ramirez simply couldn’t keep up with Haney’s speed and Haney’s refusal to attack him for any prolonged length only made Ramirez look continuing worse because of how woeful his offense was.
Ramirez never landed more than six punches in a single round and landed exactly two punches in six of the 12 rounds. Yet, the veteran boxer was never in trouble a single time as Haney was completely content getting the victory at all costs regardless of what this does to hurt anticipation for a fall rematch against Garcia that the DAZN broadcast announced Friday is already signed for the fall.
Garcia, in his first fight following a 12-month suspension for testing positive for Ostarine against Haney, headlined Friday’s event in a welterweight bout against Rolando “Rolly” Romero.