Ryan Garcia Crushes Devin Haney In Shocking Upset Performance
Ryan Garcia defeated WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney in dominating fashion in the young boxing stars’ anticipated boxing match this past weekend.
On Saturday evening (April 20), Garcia shocked the boxing world with a riveting upset, winning a majority decision over Haney that saw Garcia knock down the champion on three separate occasions. Garcia was deemed the winner by two judges, while a third scored the fight as a draw, eliciting boos from the crowd inside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Garcia, who entered the match a heavy underdog, rejoiced in his victory following the decision, responding to speculation regarding his mental state during the leadup to the fight.
“Come on y’all, you really thought I was crazy?,” the California native asked the crowd following the bout, which went 12 rounds and saw him deliver the most electric performance of his career.
Originally set to compete for Haney’s WBC Light Welterweight title, Garcia weighed in at 143 pounds, three pounds over the light welterweight limit, thus disqualifying him from fighting for the belt. However, the terms of the bout were renegotiated, with Garcia and Haney agreeing to fight without Haney’s title at stake, with the latter remaining the light welterweight champion regardless of the outcome.
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) was coming off a TKO victory over Oscar Duarte in his light welterweight debut in December 2023, while Haney, who was previously undefeated, had secured his light welterweight title in a unanimous decision over former WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis a week after.
A former undisputed champion at the lightweight division, Haney, who was emerging as an elite pound-for-pound performer in the sport prior to his loss to Garcia, appeared stunned, but gracious, at the outcome. “Alhamdulillah Allah is the perfect planner he makes no mistakes,” the devout Muslim wrote on social media. “Fought like a true champion. Got up off the canvas & kept fighting. I am 100% ok & would love to do it again while we both make weight.”
Garcia has voiced his intention to move up to the welterweight division, with a possible showdown against top contender Jaron Ennis.
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