THE RESULT: Ryan Garcia stuns Devin Haney to win a majority decision (112-112, 114-110, 115-109) at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York. Garcia dropped the WBC super-lightweight champion three time on his way to the biggest victory of his career but does not win the title having came in three pounds over the 140lb weight limit on Friday. Haney retains the title.
KEY MOMENTS: Garcia’s famed left hook troubled Haney from the opening round. Haney was knocked down three times in rounds seven, ten and eleven after a wild, chaotic, and messy contest at times.
RECORDS: Garcia improves to 25-1 (20) while Haney – who suffered his first loss – now sits at 31-1 (15).
TALKING POINT: The unexpected performance of Ryan Garcia and the disappointing display of referee Harvey Dock. Garcia’s antics in the build-up left everyone with doubts that the fight would go ahead but he showed up and proved there is talent to take him far if he can control himself and the distractions outside the ring. Dock would not let the fighters fight on the inside or try and fight their way out of a clinch. Within a split second he would jump in and separate them.
QUOTABLE: “My left hook is my left hook, that’s blessed by God,” Garcia said during his post-fight interview with DAZN. “Whenever I land it, it can put you out or down. I knew I had control after I dropped him, maybe my conditioning wasn’t the best, but I got the job done.
A swollen-faced Haney said, “I’m disappointed in my performance but I showed that I can fight after being knocked down and hurt.”
Both fighters agreed that they should fight one another again in the future.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? In the world of Ryan Garcia who knows. Another fight with Haney would be huge but at what weight? Garcia may decide to go to welterweight where the level of competition has dropped. Haney will look to right the wrong because make no mistake that defeat will hurt the heart and mind as well as the body.