sport news Devin Haney has 'lost a lot of respect' for Ryan Garcia ahead of their grudge ... trends now

Amidst the chaos spiraling out of control in the opposite corner, an unperturbed Devin Haney is only focused on doing what he does best: winning.

The eyes of the world have not been on Haney, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in boxing today, over the past few months as he gears up for the first defense of his WBC super-lightweight crown. Instead, he has been able to fade into the background and quietly ply his trade while his troubled opponent unravels for all to see.

Ryan Garcia already had the odds stacked against him heading into this date of destiny with his former amateur rival, who has enjoyed a steeper ascent as a professional following six even battles in the unpaid ranks. 

Now, after weeks of disturbing outbursts which have thrown the fight into question amid fears over his mental health, it is tough to afford Garcia any more than a puncher's chance with the spotlight shining down on him like never before.

Yet Haney has not gained any confidence from his opponent's erratic behavior as he closes in on his next mission. 'I don't look that deep into it,' he tells Dailymail.com. 

'Imma let him do whatever he wants to do and just continue to focus on me. Keep preparing, keep my blinders on, keep tunnel vision and let him do whatever he wants to do.

'I don't see it as an advantage or a disadvantage. Ryan Garcia is just another opponent for me, he's just another person on my resume. And no matter what he does, it won't change the outcome of the fight.'

There aren't enough hours in the day to list the endless claims, all of which remain unproven, that Garcia has made since a concerning online post at the start of March claimed he was dead after having his 'throat slit'. Many have called for the 25-year-old to be saved from himself and pulled out of his clash with Haney as a result.

Somehow, the bigwigs behind it have weathered that storm and we still appear to have a fight on our hands this Saturday in Brooklyn. Four days out from their grudge match the pair went face to face for one of the final times at the top of the Empire State Building, where an unsavory build-up marred by accusations of racism and drug taking escalated once more when Haney shoved Garcia by the throat following a jibe about his mother.

'I don't care for him whatsoever,' Haney says about his bitter feud with Garcia. 'He's done a lot of things during this build-up and I've lost a lot of respect for him.

'But at the end of the day, when I go in that ring it won't change the outcome, it won't change what I'm gonna do. It doesn't matter whether we like each other or not.'

After winning all 31 of his professional bouts and becoming a two-weight world champion in the process, for Haney the 32nd is a foregone conclusion this weekend.

At 25 years old he has already claimed honors in multiple divisions while Garcia only just gears up for his first bona fide title shot. He has already beaten a handful former world champions and remained undefeated while his old nemesis, whose greatest test to date ended in defeat against Gervonta Davis, awaits an elite-level scalp.

And Haney is adamant that he only has to look out for one obvious danger when they meet again in the Big Apple.