When Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia finally end their feud with fists on Saturday night, it could be a one-sided defeat or a surprisingly convincing matchup. The old rivals will finally settle their differences on Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 12-round fight, including undercard action, will be streamed live on DAZN.
It’s somewhat of a surprise that we’ve made it this far considering Garcia’s extremely strange behavior leading up to the fight and his weight of 3.2 pounds on Friday morning.
Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) thanked Jesus eight times to begin his portion of Thursday’s press conference. Moments later, he hurled a foul-mouthed tirade at Haney and later targeted a member of the public in a tirade involving mothers and body parts.
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs), the reigning WBC super lightweight champion and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, has seemingly tried to remain professional throughout fight week despite Garcia’s strange antics.
But 25-year-old Haney pushed Garcia in the face on Tuesday during a promotional meeting at the top of the Empire State Building in New York. Two days later, Haney had a simple message for his nemesis.
“The antics are almost done. This is not an easy fight, but one that I will make look easy,” Haney said. “I have my tunnel vision. It will turn out. All his antics and all the things he has done will betray him, and it will show.
In December, in his first fight at 140 pounds, Haney won the title with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over former titleholder Regis Prograis. He will make his first defense against Garcia, who appears to be juggling three careers: professional prize fighter, actor and a social media influencer.
Garcia, who is coming off an amateur victory over Haney, suffered a seventh-round knockout loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis last April. He had agreed to a catchweight of 136 pounds with a 10-pound rehydration clause and entered the ring with a rib injury against one of the sport’s most devastating punchers. The result? Garcia was dropped twice, with a left hand to the same rib he injured being the ultimate culprit.
However, Garcia bounced back with a ninth-round knockout win over Oscar Duarte in December.
His behavior since then has been reminiscent of a low-budget horror film. After switching between fighting Haney and then WBA title winner Rolando “Rolly” Romero, Garcia and his Golden Boy Promotions team were forced to go back to the drawing board and secure a fight with Haney.
Since then, Garcia – who has spoken openly about his mental health struggles – has posted a plethora of erratic and defamatory posts on social media in recent months, leading to concerns about his well-being. Garcia, 25, insists he is ready.
‘What do you want me to say? I have already said everything,” he said during the press conference on Thursday.
Garcia – who is known for his blistering hand speed – then repeatedly shouted, “I’m on fire” and “I’m strong” before returning to his seat.
A moment later he barked at the aforementioned audience member.
In contrast, Haney, dressed in all black with sunglasses and gloves, remained stoic and collected throughout.
Haney-Garcia is a battle between two extremely talented fighters. Nevertheless, one is focused and the other appears to be on a self-destructive path to defeat.
Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia Prediction
This is an interesting match in terms of physical characteristics. Haney has an excellent left-handed jab, superior defense and ring generalship beyond his years. Garcia also has the physical tools to win this fight. He has the height, the reach, the speed and the power. At the very least, Garcia has a puncher’s chance to win this fight and score an upset. Will that happen? I do not think so.
Garcia spends too much time on social media and not enough time preparing for one of the biggest fights of his life. Depending on how you look at it, the Davis fight was one of the most highly anticipated fights of 2023, even though it was a non-title fight. This upcoming fight against Haney is for a legitimate world title. Garcia has a chance to put himself in the record books, but it doesn’t seem like he cares. Win or lose, he will make more money as a content creator in the long run.
From a skills perspective, Haney has a significant advantage over Garcia. He is one of the sharpest and most disciplined athletes in boxing. He is a master ring technician with precision punching and impressive footwork. Garcia is fast, but timing often trumps speed as you put your chin in the air, drop your hands and overextend your punches, leaving yourself vulnerable to a countershot.
The second round of the Davis fight was a perfect example. Garcia missed with the left hook, and Davis, an elite counterpuncher, hit him with the straight left hand. Haney doesn’t have the power of a Davis, but a champion of his caliber should win this fight easily. The animosity that Garcia injected into this event may have been important in advancing the fight, but won’t matter once the bell rings.
I’ll take Haney to knockout Garcia in the third round, but also don’t be surprised if Garcia gets himself disqualified.
