At long last, the Ryan Garcia vs Devin Haney fight is in the books, and what an absolute barnbuster we’ve had! With so much talk about his mental condition and doubts regarding his ability as a championship-level boxer, Garcia defied all odds to pull off a huge upset and beat Haney.
Coming into the fight, Devin Haney was seen as a massive favorite against Ryan Garcia. With the boxer displaying a lot of troubled behavior, the fans were not too convinced of his abilities as an elite boxer. However, on the night, Garcia proved everyone wrong by beating Devin Haney quite decisively despite what the scorecards had to say.
Sweet Chin Music 🎶
Here are all 3 knockdowns @RyanGarcia delivered to @Realdevinhaney to secure the win.#HaneyGarcia pic.twitter.com/18obAwynEE
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 21, 2024
On the night, Ryan utilized his trusty left hook to deliver three superb knockdowns on Devin Haney. Although he was behind on the scorecards for most of the fight, the 25-year-old rallied back against his age-old rival to take the majority decision, 112-112, 114-110, 115-109. Considering the doubts and all the talk about him on social media, the result was a big shock to all parties involved.
Ryan Garcia addresses discussions regarding his mental health in the post-fight interview
Ahead of the fight, Ryan Garcia continued his whimsical behavior that we have been seeing all throughout the fight week. Opting to have a string quartet orchestra in his locker room before the fight, Garcia continued drumming up attention on social media. Throughout the buildup, we have seen a roller coaster of emotions from Garcia, which some would agree, has led to tremendous promotion for the fight.
Thus, many began wondering as to whether the copious amounts of alcohol and other substances had finally started taking their toll on the fighter. Ahead of the fight, there were serious inquiries regarding Ryan Garcia’s mental health, with some even calling for the New York State Athletic Commission to conduct a thorough mental examination of the fighter.
Following the win, Ryan shared his thoughts in the post-fight interview and said: “Come on guys, you really thought I was crazy? You done lost your own mind!”
“You guys overrate everything, you guys hate on me ’cause I’m pretty and sh*t, man that’s f***ed up. At the end of the day, I been boxing my whole life and all I do is love God and try to help the children.”
Further, he addressed his bizarre behavior by saying, “I have ADHD, so I start doing random things.” With that, many are still unsure of whether the fighter’s antics were a true representation of him or just a way of building up the fight. Either way, more clarity on the matter will be
Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney agree to a rematch
All things considered, despite his seemingly ‘out of whack’ behavior, many people were backing Ryan Garcia to carry through with his energy and come out victorious in the fight. Due to his unbridled aggression towards Devin Haney, some suggested that he could well get an early knockout to close out the fight. Whilst it did not happen, it certainly seemed like a possibility after Ryan caught his man with a dazing left hand in Round 1.
Thereafter, ‘KingRy’ would catch Haney on a few other occasions, most notably in rounds 7, 10, and 11 where he scored a big knockdown on the WBC Super Lightweight champ. As such, Garcia had Haney on the ropes and clinging on for dear life at times, which truly put questions over the latter’s preparations coming into the fight.
Following the loss, Haney spoke about what went wrong for him and made his thoughts known about wanting an immediate rematch.
“I was sleeping on him”@Realdevinhaney on what happened in the ring against @RyanGarcia #HaneyGarcia pic.twitter.com/J3taqyHipj
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 21, 2024
“I would love a rematch. I gave him a shot, it’s only right he gives me a shot back. He didn’t make weight so I’m still the champion. We can run it back.”
Initially, it was Ryan Garcia who suggested the rematch seeing that the fight, which had taken place six times prior in the amateurs, delivered massively on the big stage. Moreover, with Garcia missing weight for the fight, he was ineligible for Haney’s title, and what will likely be his only regret looking back. Seeing that the fight will happen at least one more time, the fans can be assured that it will be a good one.