LAS VEGAS – WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney has said he has turned off the noise coming from his April 20 opponent Ryan Garcia during the build-up to their New York clash.

Garcia’s behavior has been consistently troubling on social media, to the point that Haney cannot listen any more.

“No, I switched off. Ryan can say what he wants to say. I don’t care,” Haney said.

Then, asked how deep the grudge now is, Haney added: “It’s all business, never personal.”

Haney was speaking to the media ahead of working out at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas, and he responded to plenty of questions that have been surrounding the contest, including whether he thought the fight would even still go ahead.

“I’m very confident the fight is going to happen,” Haney stated. “We both signed contracts, the fight is on. Ryan’s training, I’m training. I have no doubt that the fight is going to happen.

“I’m not going to say I didn’t [think it might not] at the time, absolutely, but Ryan is training, he’s motivated to fight and I’ve been motivated to fight, and it’s going to happen.

“My main focus is to stay focused, and whatever Ryan shows up, I’m going to be ready for. I know that Ryan is going to go in there and try to apply the pressure and come out swinging and come out wild, like he does, but I’m going to break him down. I’m going to crush him. I’m going to step on him, no matter what.

“Ryan’s been talking so much, I feel like it’s been motivating me even more, just to end him and get him out of boxing, because he’s not taking the sport serious like he should, because he’s not being a good role model to the people that look up to him. He’s got his platform, but he’s not making the best of it.”

Haney is 31-0 (15 KOs) and was last seen decisively outscoring Regis Prograis in San Francisco in December. And the 25-year-old said he is now keen to clean up at 140lbs, where he wants to be undisputed. Asked for his three dream fights, Haney said they would be him versus Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Subriel Matias and Teofimo Lopez, and he said that he and Matias could happen sooner than later as they both work with promoter Eddie Hearn.

“I’m the guy that bullies the bullies. I’m the guy that steps up when nobody wants to,” Haney went on. “I’m the guy that steps in and saves the day, so they might need me to save the day and go fight Matias.

“That fight [Matias] could be made, if Teo wants it, we could fight that fight, too. I want to make the biggest fights out there with the best fighters in the world because I truly believe I’m the best and I’m not just talking, I’m not just on twitter saying this, I’m for real. And check my resume. It shows... Of the younger guys, I’m the only one doing. No, actually, I’ve got to take my hat off to Teo, Teo’s doing it, too.”  

There is another dream fight Haney wants to see, and it’s up at 168lbs between Canelo Alvarez and his top challenger David Benavidez. Haney argued that his fight with Garcia on April 20 is bigger than Canelo’s with Jaime Munguia, mostly because he felt he and Garcia were known by casual boxing fans, but Munguia was not.

And while he indicated no disrespect towards the Mexican ahead of his May 4 fight with Canelo, Haney also wants to see the fight the rest of boxing wants.

“That’s nasty work right there,” he smiled, discussing Canelo and Benavidez.

“I’m not going to say he [Canelo]’s ducking him, because we’ve seen Canelo’s resume. I can’t say he’s ducking anybody. But is he in a rush to get in the ring with him? I don’t think so.

“I think he sees easier fights out there but Canelo has a resume that very few in boxing have, so I can’t say he’s ducking nobody. I just think it’s got to make sense, and he said he wanted $150m or whatever the case maybe, but [Benavidez promoter] Sampson [Lewkowicz] also said that’s a realistic thing, so we can’t say he’s ducking him if that number’s realistic.

“Benavidez, I think he’s one of the best in the sport right now. He’s on top of his game. I like Benavidez a lot. That’s a fight I would love to see, him and Canelo. There’s very few fights in boxing I would actually be excit