Devin Haney’s unexpected loss to Ryan Garcia was a departure from his usual style, and analysts deemed him embarrassed and disappointed.
On a recent episode of Probox TV’s “Deep Waters,” former world champions Chris Algieri and Paulie Malignaggi talked about Haney’s first loss at age 25.
Devin Haney shamelessly celebrates his loss to Ryan Garcia with a gorgeous cake
“His jab was effective, but when he got injured again.” [with a seventh-round knockdown]he lost concentration,” Algieri told Probox TV.
“He started putting his body on the line and going after punchers, which is a huge mistake, especially against someone like Ryan Garcia.”
Haney (31-1) struggled against Garcia’s power punches rather than using his jab or boxing skills.
Garcia, who had previously lost weight for the WBC 140-pound title fight, landed a powerful left-handed shot that Haney was unable to avoid.
What did Malignaggi say about Haney’s next steps?
Malignaggi expressed surprise at Haney’s inability to avoid Garcia’s power punches and at his subsequent decline after initially jabbing and moving effectively from the second to sixth rounds.
“That fight should have stayed slow. Haney should have controlled the fight with his jab,” Malignaggi said.
“That’s what you have to do.”
Algieri agreed that Garcia looked tired in the beginning, but then found space and delivered effective strikes. He criticized Haney’s decision to take advantage of Garcia’s strengths and practice jumping left hooks before the fight.
Malignaggi reflected on Haney’s performance against a young, talented fighter like Garcia, stressing that while Haney is a skilled fighter, he is no match for Floyd Mayweather.
Haney remains the WBC competitive 140-pound champion and faces challenges from other notable champions such as Teofimo Lopez, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Sabriel Matias.
A rematch with Garcia has been discussed, but concerns about Garcia’s weight and interest in fighting welterweight and junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora complicate future plans.
Drawing from personal experience, Malignaggi emphasized the importance of self-belief and encouraged Haney to bounce back from adversity.
“Haney can come back and reclaim his status as champion,” Malignaggi asserted.
“He just needs to believe in himself and learn from this loss.”
