Fresh off a year out of the ring to welcome his newborn child, Devin Haney is ready to get back to business when he takes on Jose Ramirez on May 2 in New York City.

Haney (31-0-1 NC, 15 KOs) and Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) will clash on a three-fight card which will be held in the middle of Times Square in a few weeks' time. The event will be put on by Ring Magazine in association with SNK Games, creators of the video game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

Last April, Haney was put on the canvas three times by Ryan Garcia in their Brooklyn bout, originally losing by unanimous decision before the result was overturned because of the latter's failed drug test.

The banned substance Ostarine was found in Garcia's system after he was tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

Garcia was subsequently suspended from boxing for a year, which will be up by the time he headlines the May 2 bill against Rolando Romero, and there have been talks for a rematch with Haney to take place later this year.

Haney has had to deal with the repercussions of Garcia's failed test in the meantime, and observers are wondering whether he will be the same fighter after such a brutal fight with the Californian, once he returns.

But Haney is ready to show all his doubters that his loss to Garcia was down to one thing and one thing only, with the aim being that he shows the world he's still the same fighter as before against Ramirez. 

He said of his defeat to Garcia: "At the end of the day, I fought someone on PEDs, that's how that fight was, we move forward, the world wants to see which Devin Haney shows up, I'll look to give everyone the answers on May 2.

"I took a year off to spend some time with my family, I had a baby, I wanted to rest and recover and come back at the right time.

"When I came back I wanted to face some of the best in the world, so I'm up against a two-time champion in Ramirez, so here we are."

Ramirez stands in Haney's way, though. The former unified junior-welterweight champion is now campaigning up at 147 pounds after losing to Arnold Barboza on a Riyadh Season card last November.

He said: "Once I saw myself struggling to make weight, pushing my body through the pain, I was harming myself," he said. "I'm a guy with no excuses, I never say no, that was my mistake.

"It's time for me to move up to 147 pounds, I know what I can do, I know what I'm capable of and what I've done to guys in sparring. I'm going to show the best version of Jose Ramirez.

"I've never had to worry about my opposition, I became the best boxer by beating guys with different styles, people underestimate my speed and power, I'm ready to put it all together on May 2. You thought I was strong at 140 pounds, just watch me at 147 pounds."