Crazy like a fox.
Ryan Garcia’s mental health and physical fitness were questioned leading up to his clash with Devin Haney on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. When the fight was over, there were no more questions.
Garcia dropped Devin Haney three times en route to one of the most stunning upset victories in recent boxing history. Garcia prevailed by majority decision, with one judge scoring the fight a draw. Garcia’s power and speed were early factors.
He nearly floored Haney with a powerful left hook in the opening seconds of the first frame. Haney’s eyes rolled up in his head, but he managed to maintain his balance. The shot set the tone for the night. To Haney’s credit, he rebounded well and likely won the next several rounds leading up to the seventh.
In the seventh, Garcia dropped Haney with a powerful left hook, and it didn’t appear like the latter would beat referee Harvey Dock’s ten count.
Haney reached his feet but was visibly wobbly for the rest of the round. During one of Haney’s desperate attempts to hold Garcia, the latter punched him on the break, which prompted Dock to take a point from him.
That decision seemed a bit unfair, considering Dock never penalized Haney for the excessive holding that persisted through the rest of the fight. No matter, Garcia would floor Haney two more times to close the deal.
Here is a look at all three knockdowns.
Haney showed a champion’s heart by getting to his feet but didn’t have the legs to be a threat moving forward. While the scorecards (114-110, 115-109, 112-112) were all over the place, the right fighter got the decision.
Hours before the fight, Garcia was listed as a +575 underdog. The fight world exploded following Garcia’s unlikely win.
Garcia missed weight for the fight, so the title was not on the line for him. Because Garcia missed weight, Haney will maintain his WBC Super Lightweight title. Both men said they wanted to have a rematch.
There would seemingly be an even bigger audience for the second fight after Garcia’s performance in this one. Haney has said he wasn’t affected by Garcia’s antics leading up to the fight, but many will question that concept over the next few weeks.
Haney said Garcia surprised him early in the fight, and many will wonder how that could have been unless he was distracted or taking his opponent lightly.
In any case, Garcia earned immeasurable respect as a fighter with his victory and likely increased his already massive brand in the process. Haney must regroup after this humbling defeat, the first of his career.
Many of us weren’t sure what we’d see from this fight after the bizarre buildup, but it was an exciting and competitive fight with knockdowns and upset victory. It’s tough to complain about that from a fan perspective.
From a journalistic standpoint, Garcia’s win culminates an eventful fight week with a far more sweet science performance than anything we saw on the journey to his in-ring triumph.
