Written by Elliot Worsell
The great thing about writing previews before social media came along and boxers started trying to inform every thought and move was that the focus and frame of reference tended to be narrower and more specific. . You focused not on what boxers posted online when they were bored, crying for help, or seeking approval, but instead on their fighting style and behavior in the ring. . You treated them, to some extent, as contours, rather than, say, as flawed human beings. A flawed human being whose flaws are further exposed by social media addiction.
Perhaps it’s the case with Ryan Garcia, but it’s hard to separate the boxer from the damaged young man these days. For example, as I write this, previewing his next fight, he was busy posting on social media: “When people say I’m crazy, I It’s actually exciting.”
Viewed without context, this could be mistaken for a throwaway line written by a 13-year-old girl who is tired of school and needs someone to tell her she’s special. But given what we know about Garcia, and how we’ve had to endure his countless conspiracy theories and cries for help over the past few months, it’s hard to make such comments. (a) Yet another red flag, or (b) mildly annoying.
Ultimately, how you interpret Garcia’s actions depends on whether you believe he is a young man battling personal demons, or that he is a young man desperate for attention and will stop at nothing to get it. It depends on what you believe. While some may read his words or watch his videos and express concern, others may feel that ignoring him is ultimately the best course of action.
Garcia’s next opponent, Devin Haney, seemed to always know about Garcia’s motives. He rolls his eyes and shrugs, saying from the beginning that Garcia is just trying to cause chaos and get attention, the only way he knows how. In fact, Haney didn’t see anything else, and when he first learned of Garcia’s problems, he had none of the sympathy that others showed him.
This is probably what Haney is thinking as an opponent. He showed no mercy and ignored the human boxer who was trying to take him down. Or maybe Haney, like many, sees in Garcia a man whose attributes are no different – to say the least – to those of countless boxers throughout history. But only today, thanks to social media, it is exposed to the world and, to make matters worse, and even more ironic, used as a promotional tool by both the boxer himself and those around him.
Either way, the whole development leading up to this event in Brooklyn is disturbing. Unconventional; wrong. For example, if Garcia is as unstable as his online attention-grabbing stance suggests, he won’t be near the boxing ring this Saturday (April 20). Similarly, if it’s all some weird ploy or an attempt to be controversial because they know that’s what their audience wants, then Garcia and those around them will have to think about themselves and the people around them. You’re really letting the sport down.
We’ll probably never know whether Garcia withdraws or has an Oliver McCall-Andrew Golota-like meltdown on fight night. However, there is no doubt that the build-up to this fight, especially Garcia’s erratic behavior, overshadowed what was an interesting fight between two young super lightweights when it was originally announced. do not have. In fact, this game did nothing to convince fans, and more importantly Haney, that this game would happen on Saturday. (Frankly, as of this writing, and since I’ve previously written previews of matches that didn’t happen, I’m not sure if we’ll see Haney and Garcia share the ring this weekend) I don’t know yet.)
Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia face off at the Empire State Building in New York City on April 16, 2024 (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images, Empire State Realty Trust)
Still, even though it’s tough, we have to refocus and try to see Haney and Garcia as pure boxers. We should forget what Garcia reveals about himself and others, viewing him and Haney not as flawed young men, but as two super athletes, orthodox and coiled in the ring. Must see. Only then can we read this battle correctly and return to the pure preview of old times. It was refreshing in a way, but it was about two boxers and their upcoming fight. When there was a mystery to everything, it didn’t necessarily give you no knowledge, but rather helped you focus more on what was important: the two main characters.
There’s a lot of both analysis and praise about Haney and Garcia here. First, they are both 25 years old and in the prime of their careers. We met at the right time, neither too early nor too late. And despite their youth, both have gained considerable experience at the top level in recent years. . For example, Haney has gone 12 rounds in each of his past eight fights, defeating Vasily Lomachenko, Regis Prograis, George Kambosos (twice), Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz, and Yuriorkis Gamboa during that span. ing. Garcia, on the other hand, continues to win matches at lower levels, but was caught up in a big fight with Gervonta Davis in 2023 and, to his credit, has since lost the loss he suffered that night. I recovered well.
So we know a lot about both fighters even though they are only 25 years old. These days, he’s an age that’s associated with an untested up-and-coming player. Haney can go 12 rounds in his sleep, outperforming some very good fighters at this distance, but Garcia is coming off an undefeated streak and coming off last year’s loss to Davis. You might think he would have learned countless lessons. .
Confidence-wise, Garcia’s eight-round stoppage of Oscar Duarte in December also probably did him good. It was his first and only fight since losing to Davis (stopped with a body shot in the seventh round), and at 143 pounds he beat Duarte this way, just what the doctor ordered. was. With a new weight class and a new attitude, the expectation after the fight was that Garcia, 24-1 (20), would make a fresh start as a super lightweight and show a more mature and thoughtful version of himself. . In April of the previous year, he lost to lightweight Davis.
Instead, the new Garcia that captivated the world was not at all what we expected. If anything, Garcia has been most concerned about immaturity rather than maturity over the past four months, often pleading for someone to step in and help. That never bodes well when you’re going into a fight with a fighter as dynamic as Devin Haney, but it’s true nonetheless. In fact, for some, Garcia’s actions in recent months are more telling and revealing than anything he accomplished during the eight rounds he spent dominating Duarte in December. ing.
ryan garcia
When it comes to Haney, in contrast to Garcia, stable is the perfect word. He is stable whenever he appears in the ring, often controlling his opponents and doing whatever he wants, and is also stable outside of the ring. Haney is 31-0 (15 wins) and has only previously appeared professionally as a model. In fact, one knock against Haney, the WBC super lightweight champion, is that he’s a little too consistent, a little too safe. What it means: Whereas a fighter like Garcia is all about emotion, chaos and drama, which makes for quite the cocktail in the ring, Haney is the peppermint tea of fighters. He’s reliable, confident and exactly what purists want to drink before bed. For them, seeing someone like Haney can be therapeutic. Just his jab, the punches that he throws like anybody, it’s really beautiful. A work of art. His control is also impressive and admirable, especially considering his streak of decision wins and the pressure to buck this trend and prioritize the bloodlust of his fans.
In that respect, an opponent like Garcia would be ideal for Haney. As we’ve already seen, Garcia is willing to do most of the talking and selling, allowing Haney, the journeyman, to work hard and focus on what he does best on fight night. In fact, some might argue that Haney, who has won eight straight decisions, needs an opponent like Garcia just to generate interest in the fight, but that’s because Floyd Mayweather is the champion. Not so unlike the need for a perfect foil or two during a long reign. As you know, Mayweather was also someone who was used to fighting 12 rounds, and although it was a little more exciting than Haney, he also wanted to increase interest in the fight and raise the level by competing with Arturo Gatti and Oscar De La Hoya. It has become dependent on the presence of stars like . Take his profile to the next level.
As for Ryan Garcia, Haney will likely expect the same. He will also be hoping to use Garcia’s emotions and instability against him, perhaps defeating him in the process and earning his first stoppage victory since 2019. Considering everything we’ve seen from Garcia in recent months, the conclusion to this fight seems inevitable. When it comes to mental challenges, there’s no worse boxer than someone like Devin Haney. Because it’s supposed to. That stability and consistency is a cruel reminder of everything Ryan Garcia is currently lacking.
