During the promotion of the fight, Ryan Garcia displayed behavior that led some to believe he was unfit to compete in a boxing match, which was broadcast live on DAZN PPV on Saturday night, April 20th. Garcia gave the performance of a lifetime that shocked the world. He defeated Devin Haney by majority decision (31-1, 15 KOs).
Garcia’s pre-fight antics on social media were so bad that Arnold Barboza Jr. was named as Haney’s backup opponent. Despite all the antics and failed attempts to make weight, Garcia arrived at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, determined and ready to fight.
Garcia got Haney off to the perfect start, landing a signature left hook in the opening seconds that wobbled Haney. Garcia continued to press forward, landing solid shots and becoming the clear winner of the first round.
Haney settled down in the second round, using feints to throw jabs and connect with solid right hands. In the fourth round, when Devin Haney was consistently running attacks, Garcia was fighting off his back legs and using awkward-looking shoulder rolls.
Haney connected with jabs and right hands throughout the fifth round as Garcia continued to use unconventional defensive tactics. Garcia responded in the sixth, pressing forward and peppering shots early in the round.
The seventh round was a chaotic one, with Garcia connecting with a left hook that sent Haney to the canvas. Haney got to his feet, but was unsteady on his feet. Haney was injured enough that he had to hold Garcia down, and while the referee broke the clinch, Garcia punched Haney.
Referee Harvey Dock decided to deduct a point due to Garcia’s foul. The underdog Ryan Garcia continued to press aggressively and made important shots. Haney touched the canvas two more times during the round as he lunged forward for a hold, but the two falls were not considered knockdowns.
Rounds 8 and 9 consisted of some good back and forth action. In the 10th round, Garcia landed a punch that resulted in his second knockdown of the fight. Ryan gained the upper hand in the 10th round and finished the round with another left hook that hurt Haney.
Ryan Garcia landed the money shot in the 11th round, scoring his third knockdown and winning big. Both boxers advanced through the 12th round as Garcia began showboating in the final seconds of the bout. At the end of the match, Ryan Garcia won by majority decision with scores of 112-112, 114-110, and 115-109.
Ryan “King Rye” Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) defeated his arch-rival Devin Haney, but was ineligible to win the WBC super lightweight world title because he was three pounds underweight. Although Garcia wasn’t crowned a champion Saturday night, he left Brooklyn, New York, feeling satisfied that he had shown the world he can win big matches.
As for Devin Haney, he will leave Brooklyn, New York with the WBC belt, but unfortunately for him, he won’t leave with a clean record. Going into the bout, Devin Haney was the betting favorite, but over the course of the match he built a technical era that chased the knockout artist.
The Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney match was an exciting and action-packed event. They fought six times as amateurs, with both winning three fights each. Now that Garcia has won the rubber match in the pro ranks, the question is whether we’ll see Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney fight for an eighth time overall.
