Devin Haney is fighting to honor the memory of his late grandmother.
Renee Jannah, the grandmother of the WBC super lightweight champion and mother of Devin’s father, trainer and manager Bill, died in March, aged 73, after struggling with cancer.
Saturday’s fight, against Ryan Garcia at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, is Devin’s first since his grandmother’s death, and comes after a training camp in which father and son were saddened by her deterioration.
Her condition meant that they had doubted whether she would be well enough to attend Haney’s victory in December over Regis Prograis, but she watched him produce the finest performance of his career, and has become their driving factor for the fight with Haney’s long-term rival Garcia.
“We’re dedicating this one to mum, and that’s the way it’s going to be,” said Bill Haney.
“We know that Allah doesn’t make any mistakes, and what he’s done is he’s given us another strength. She’s watching down and, inshallah, we’ll be victorious and we’ll dedicate this one to her.
“Every tragedy brings us closer. You know, and every triumph we celebrate even better.“He is taking that into this fight.”
Haney and Garcia, both 25, fought six times as amateurs and each won three fights. Saturday’s matchup regardless comes at a time of growing concerns surrounding Garcia’s mental health.
“I think it’s all just a game,” Bill Haney said of Garcia’s erratic behavior. “It’s all just a game.
“It’s a game. It’s a game. He’s ready.”
