Ryan Garcia wants Devin Haney out of The Ring’s top welterweight ranking, and he can do it without giving Haney a penny. Flattening Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz inside three rounds would leave The Ring’s ranking panel no choice. Ryan has to obliterate a fighter Gervonta Davis could not finish.
The Ring currently lists Haney at No. 1, Ryan at No. 2 and Teofimo Lopez at No. 3. DAZN celebrated Ryan’s sudden rise after he battered Conor Benn into the canvas on September 12.
“Ryan Garcia is one step closer to being the No. 1 ranked welterweight!”
Haney has stayed completely inactive since his win over Brian Norman Jr. in November 2025. With no date on the schedule, The Ring’s editorial panel faces an embarrassing situation trying to justify keeping an idle fighter above an active WBC belt holder who generates rapid stoppages, full arenas, and an $8 million live gate.
Cruz provides Ryan with an ideal path. Brian Norman Jr. and Eimantas Stanionis are dangerous, heavy-handed natural welterweights who represent high-risk charity work with zero commercial reward. Ryan would take heavy punches for pocket change. Pitbull delivers massive paydays, international visibility, and the direct promotional comparison Ryan wants against Tank.
The catch centers on weight. Cruz boxes at 140 pounds and fought the majority of his career down at lightweight. Moving him up to 147 pounds or creating a 144-pound catchweight will trigger accusations that Ryan picked a smaller target rather than testing himself against a legitimate welterweight puncher.
A spectacular finish eliminates that narrative. Outpointing Cruz in a distance bout will look like a routine commercial showcase, leaving Haney firmly planted at the summit. Wrecking Cruz inside three rounds forces The Ring to take action.
The stylistic pairing plays completely into Ryan’s strengths. Cruz wades forward out of a low crouch, pumping wide hooks once he reaches close quarters. That charging approach walks him straight toward Ryan’s check left hook, the identical weapon that demolished Benn and dropped Haney repeatedly.
The physical disparity makes that charge suicidal. Cruz is 5’4″ with a 63-inch reach, conceding more than four inches in height and seven inches of reach to Ryan. Cruz has to charge across open space to reach Ryan’s ribs. The moment Cruz dips his head and drops his right glove, Ryan’s hand speed opens an unobstructed route to his jaw.
That matchup turns Cruz into the ultimate measuring stick against Davis. Tank had 36 full minutes to solve Cruz in December 2021 and could not put him down. Ryan dismantled Benn in six minutes. Stopping Cruz inside nine minutes strips Davis of his aura of one-punch superiority and gives Ryan undisputed bragging rights over both men.
Cruz built his entire brand on granite durability. He walked through Tank’s best work and took Rolando Romero’s power before breaking him down. If Ryan shatters that chin on fast-forward, he earns more than a standard defense. He strips away every excuse The Ring has to keep Haney protected at the top.
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