Weekend Review: Ryan Garcia blew away Devin Haney and everyone else

A critical look at the past week in boxing BIGGEST WINNER Ryan Garcia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuGVHsTMn0 We don’t know whether or to what extent Garcia is off his rocker. He exhibited signs of serious issues in the lead-up to his fight against Devin Haney on Saturday, (...)

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Ryan Garcia

We don’t know whether or to what extent Garcia is off his rocker.

He exhibited signs of serious issues in the lead-up to his fight against Devin Haney on Saturday, acting erratically at every turn, but at least some of that appears to have been an act to sell the fight and himself. And the fact he missed weight by 3.2 pounds, which was unprofessional, raised further questions about his mindset.

What we DO know now with certainty is that Garcia can fight.

Garcia gave one of the most stunning performances in recent years at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, overcoming whatever outside-the-ring problems he might have to put Haney down three times and win a majority decision in an unforgettable fight.

When everything is taken into account – Garcia’s behavior, his inability to make weight, his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis, Haney’s reputation – the events of Saturday were mind boggling.

Remember that the gifted, disciplined Haney came into the fight on many pound-for-pound lists – No. 10 on Boxing Junkie’s – after a series of victories over one elite opponent after another the past few years. Some thought he could rise to No. 1.

And the crazy kid with a suspect skill set turned him into his personal pinata with arguably the most dangerous punch in boxing pound-for-pound, his left hook, which Haney could neither avoid nor take.

Garcia will never be confused with boxing wizards like Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko but he left no doubt on Saturday that his combination of unusual speed and power can compensate for any deficiencies, even against a pound-for-pounder.

The 3.2 extra pounds at the weigh-in mars the victory to some extent. We’ll always wonder whether Garcia had an unfair advantage, both in terms of the added weight and the fact he didn’t have to punish himself to make 140. His misstep cost him $1.5 million and chance to fight for Haney’s title but he might’ve been bigger and stronger than Haney, who made weight.

Still, we saw what we saw, Garcia’s ability to land his signature punch against an opponent many believed was moving in the direction of superstardom, put him on the canvas the first three times of his career and claim a defining victory in the sports capital of the United States.

What now?

Garcia suggested afterward that he would give Haney a rematch, which would be well received after the drama on Saturday. We’ll see, though. That performance and the social media star’s unquestioned popularity gives him unlimited options – and tremendous leverage – even though he has never won a major world title.

Every top fighter at 140 and 147 (if he moves up) is going to want to take on Garcia because of the money he generates and perceived limitations. Teofimo Lopez? Shakur Stevenson? A rematch with Davis?

The Ryan Garcia show appears to be in the early stages of a long, successful run.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Devin Haney

One minute you’re talking about greatness. The next you’re forced to begin the rebuilding process. That’s boxing.

Haney had been on an impressive run, with consecutive decision victories over Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr., George Kambosos Jr. (twice), Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis. It’s no wonder that he was around a 7-1 favorite going into the fight, which is a large margin by boxing standards.

The 140-pound champ stepped into the ring with a problem, though: He can’t punch, which gives a knockout artist like Garcia no reason to hold back. And the odds say he’ll get to you eventually.

That’s what happened on Saturday night, when Garcia took the best Haney had to offer and kept throwing – and landing – his lethal left hook, which accounted for all three knockdowns and led to the improbable victory.

Haney deserves credit for finishing the fight on his feet, evidence of his toughness and conditioning. That said, he also doesn’t have a great chin. He was stunned by the first hook that put him down but hurt badly by the second and third, which allowed Garcia to pull away from him in the championship rounds.

I won’t say Haney was exposed because I respect Garcia’s ability but he certainly has flaws we didn’t realize he had before Saturday.

I felt badly for Haney during his post-fight interview in the ring, which was the last place he wanted to be at that moment. He not only suffered his first loss, he was embarrassed. What could he say?

He tried to take solace in the fact he continued to fight in spite of adversity and then called for a rematch, after which he walked away to begin the difficult process of trying to understand what had just happened to him.

Haney, only 25, will never be seen quite the same again but he’s far from finished. He’s still largely what we thought he was, a talented, well-schooled boxer who remains a top 140-pounder.

The best-case scenario for him is a victory in an immediate rematch with Garcia, perhaps in the fall. It wouldn’t erase the memory of what happened on Saturday but he would reclaim a great deal of what he lost and could then build on that.