Ryan Garcia has had analysts and pundits far more concerned about his personal well-being over the past three months than he has been impressing with his boxing prowess.
With several explosive left hooks, he reminded the boxing world why he is King Ryan on Saturday night in a fight that may have already ended the debate for the best bout of 2024. Ta.
“Come on, guys, did you really think I was crazy?” Garcia exclaimed after the win.
Sweet Chin Music 🎶
All three knockdowns are here @RyanGarcia was delivered to @Realdevinhaney To ensure victory.#HaneyGarcia pic.twitter.com/18obAwynEE
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 21, 2024
Haney entered the night as a heavy favorite with a multi-division champion and pristine record. He ended the night with a tarnished legacy.
Garcia’s readiness was immediately shown in the first minute of the first round, when he rocked Haney with an explosive left hook that woke up the crowd. He easily won the opening round, landing nine power punches.
From there, Haney gained the upper hand by increasing his pace and adjusting to keep pressure on Garcia. Haney’s powerful jab put Garcia on the back foot, and the champion appeared to be heading straight for defense against the mysterious powerhouse.
And then came the 7th round.
Garcia’s power connected with a burst of power in the opening round, similar to the one he showed in the first fight, and he floored Haney with a hook, shocking the crowd by giving Haney the first knockdown of his career. A stunned Haney beat the count, but he was caught again and again as Garcia unleashed the power that would catapult him to fame.
But soon after, the round was thrown into complete disarray as Haney’s legs shook like jelly and Garcia was deducted for a punch on the break. He had had concerns about his mental health for several months, with a mental breakdown during a match that threatened to derail his momentum.
Garcia raced for time in the eighth and ninth rounds, and in the 10th round he proved his burst was much more than an adrenaline rush. “King Ryan” knocked Haney down again, swinging the match completely in his favor and making the impossible suddenly look real.
If that wasn’t enough, Garcia crushed the cherry on top with a third down in the 11th round, then drilled Haney with a left hook, sending the champion back to the mat and causing chaos at Barclays Center. I fell into it.
While Haney rose to his feet and beat the count for a third time, the night was clearly over for the stunned champion. After the fight, Garcia jumped onto the corner ropes to the applause of a bemused crowd to conclude the decisive 12th round. of his life.
Haney said after the loss, “I would love to have a rematch. I gave him a shot and I’m going to give him a shot right back.”
Garcia was ineligible to take Haney’s super lightweight title because he weighed 3.2 pounds over the mutually agreed upon limit of 140 pounds, but that strap may be the only dignity Haney has left in Brooklyn. do not have.
Garcia came into the night simply taking a chance on the puncher, a far cry from just a few years ago when his explosive style made him a household name.
The social media sensation turned real in the ring, as he defeated Luke Campbell in 2021 to win the interim WBC lightweight title and had the potential to be the future face of the sport in the post-Mayweather era. It looked like a deal, but then we saw the hype. In February 2023, he lost his undefeated record in a super fight with fellow genius Gervonta “Tank” Davis and disappeared.
In this fight, Garcia was first knocked down in the second round, but Davis knocked him down again in the seventh round with a brutal body shot. Garcia failed to make it past the 10 count, suffering the first loss of his career, and although he stood up immediately after the bell rang, he was later criticized for his resignation.
He next faced Oscar Duarte in September, but at first he struggled against a lower-ranked opponent and was booed by the Houston crowd, but he bounced back with an eighth-round knockout win. After fighting at 140 pounds in 2022, Garcia lost to Davis after agreeing to a 136-pound catchweight, and then struggled to defeat Duarte, a career 135-pounder, at 143 pounds.
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These scales caused Garcia even more problems against Haney. On Friday night, Garcia weighed in at 143.2 points and opted to enter into a modified contract to continue fighting rather than try to shed the extra weight. Under the amended contract, Garcia lost $600,000 of his purse and was ineligible to win the super lightweight title.
Showing noisy indifference, Garcia showed up to the ceremonial weigh-in late Friday and yelled at Haney over a beer in a heated confrontation.
On Thursday, Haney predicted Garcia would miss the weigh-in and asked Garcia to pay $500,000 for each pound he missed. A statement from Golden Boy Promotions on Friday said Garcia “respects the handshake that took place at yesterday’s final press conference.”
But for those who have been following Garcia’s social media posts leading up to this fight, Friday night’s debacle wasn’t all that surprising, and Saturday night’s result was even more perplexing.
In recent months, Garcia has claimed to have been abducted by the Illuminati, accused Logan Paul of Satanism, made accusations about Haney’s father, said he was under spiritual attack, and claimed to have evidence that aliens exist. He called Elon Musk the Antichrist. There are a number of other related claims and allegations regarding social media and podcast appearances.
On the same day in January, Garcia also announced the birth of his second child and his divorce from his wife. In March, Garcia accused Haney of using banned substances and said he planned to bite Haney’s ear off. then tweeted“My purpose is to kill the devil Haney.”
All of that antics overshadowed his and Haney’s boxing rise heading into Saturday night.
The loss improved Haney’s record to 32-1 and dashed his claim to be considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, alongside the likes of Terrence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez.
In 2022, Haney defeated George Kambosos Jr. in a lightweight title unification bout, becoming the first undisputed lightweight champion since Pernell Whittaker in 1990 and the first in the four-belt era. In December, Haney moved up to super lightweight to face champion Regis Prograis, and Haney dominated in a masterclass performance to become a two-division champion.
A rematch with Garcia appears to be the next order of business for Haney as he looks to get his career back on track, but Saturday night’s loss revealed a number of holes in Haney’s game, and the champion left serious questions about Garcia’s fortitude. his chin.
In the co-main event, underdog Sean McComb lost a split decision to undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr. and appeared to have lost it to the judges. According to broadcast statistics, McCabe appeared to dominate Barboza, even as his slippery defense and elusive length dictated the pace of the match.
Barboza gained enough momentum in the final frame to snatch the victory, but his bruised face still bore the scars of the fight. The first judging scorecard had McComb at 98-92, but the next scorecard shockingly had Barboza at 97-93. The final scorecard showed Barboza in the lead, 96-94, but there was no celebration from the favorite.
Barboza said in his post-match interview that he was not surprised by the result, but the crowd expressed their dissent with a chorus of boos.
Barboza entered the night as a main event replacement in the event of Garcia’s absence, with an eye on a future headliner bout with Shakur Stevenson. Barboza may have retired with a perfect record, but his cheek may have been scarred and his reputation tarnished.
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(Photo: Albero/Getty Images)
