Ryan Garcia Plans to Leapfrog Haney in Rankings Without Fighting Him
Garcia believes a knockout of Isaac Cruz would force The Ring to rank him above the inactive Devin Haney at welterweight.
Ryan Garcia has a plan to settle his rivalry with Devin Haney without ever sharing a ring with him again. He wants to take Haney's No. 1 welterweight ranking by force of resume.
Garcia currently sits at No. 2 in The Ring's welterweight rankings, one spot behind Haney, per Boxing News 24. His strategy is straightforward: deliver a devastating knockout of Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz, ideally within three rounds, and dare the editorial panel to keep an inactive fighter above him.
The argument has legs. Haney has not fought since defeating Brian Norman Jr. in November 2025 and has no scheduled return date. The Ring's rankings are editorial, not algorithmic, and inactivity has historically been a factor in dropping fighters.
Cruz is no walkover. The 5-foot-4 pressure fighter has made a career out of being impossible to finish. Gervonta Davis could not stop him over 36 minutes in December 2021, and Rolando Romero broke down trying, per Boxing News 24. Cruz has spent most of his career at lightweight and 140 pounds but brings durability and forward pressure that would test Garcia's power at welterweight.
The fight would also carry financial upside for Garcia, with Cruz's name recognition adding promotional value beyond the rankings chess.
Teofimo Lopez currently sits at No. 3 behind Garcia, which means a loss or a flat performance could push Garcia backward rather than forward. The margin for error is thin. Garcia needs to look spectacular, not just win.
Garcia trying to take Haney's No. 1 ranking by knocking out Cruz instead of fighting Haney is very Ryan, and it might actually work. Haney has not fought since Norman in November 2025 and has no date. The Ring's panel has dropped inactive guys before. Deliver a spectacular knockout and the argument writes itself.
The problem is the word knockout. Cruz has never been stopped. Tank could not do it in 36 minutes. Rolly broke himself trying. Garcia's plan is to finish inside three rounds a man who is built like a fire hydrant and fights like one. That is a lot of confidence.
And there is a trap underneath. Lopez is sitting at No. 3. A flat decision over Cruz does not move Garcia up, it might move him down. So the bet he is making is all or nothing. I think he wins, probably on points, and then complains about the rankings anyway. If he really wants Haney's spot, the cleanest way is still the one he keeps avoiding.
