In a stunning upset, Ryan Garcia scored an action-packed 12-round majority decision over WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The official scores were 115-109, 114-110 and 112-112. Garcia did not win the title because he failed to make the 140-pound limit.
LOOK: Devin Haney vs. Ryan García, live on DAZN
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) knocked down Haney in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds and came close to achieving a stoppage on multiple occasions. There were times when the young Californian adopted the unusual defensive stance of turning his back, giving Haney precious seconds to recover. Anyway, Garcia got over the line and kicked sand in the faces of all those who doubted him.
“You overvalue everything,” García said enthusiastically during his interview with DAZN. “You guys hate me because I’m pretty and shit. Man, that’s fucked up. After all, I’ve been boxing my whole life. All I want to do is love God and help children. You don’t want to know the truth.”
“I knew I had control after [the first knockdown]. It’s hard to recover from big shots. Maybe my physical condition wasn’t the best, but at the end of the day I did the job. [I did the shoulder roll because] “I have ADHD and I start doing random things.”
The warning signs appeared for Haney early in the first round. An electric left hook nailed the champion near the temple and his legs buckled. Garcia continued recklessly, but immediately made an impression with his power and timing.
Despite the scare, Haney found his rhythm in the early rounds. He scored well with the jab and hurt his man with a hard left hook in the third. Undeterred, Garcia shouted defiance at his rival and punched his gloves, asking for more.
The fight completely changed in the seventh round when Garcia dropped Haney with his trademark left hook. The blow was a real rocket and it is a miracle that Haney recovered. As the action continued, García looked to finish, but hit Haney on the counterattack and was deducted a point for the infraction. Even more importantly, the overtime allowed Haney to recover.
Garcia was quiet in the eighth and went on the defensive, which seemed like the wrong tactical choice. However, the loser exploded again in the ninth, hitting Haney with a big combination late in the round. And he was just getting started.
In the tenth round, a huge left hook sent Haney to the canvas for the second time. Bravely, the champion stood up, but his mouth was bloody and his eyes were gone. Another brutal left hook caught “The Dream” and he retreated towards the ropes. Once again, it was just amazing that he lasted the entire round.
Haney couldn’t set up his defenses to thwart Garcia’s left hook. The same punch hit home for a third knockdown in the eleventh and a stoppage victory seemed inevitable. Somehow, Haney managed to get the better of him, but he didn’t have enough time or ammunition to take out his longtime rival in the final round.
“I’m disappointed with my performance,” Haney said. “I showed that I am a true champion. I stood up for myself after I was hurt. “It caught me early, it took me by surprise.”
“I want a rematch. I gave it a chance. “It’s only fair that he gives me the opportunity back.”
After a build-up that everyone in boxing will want to forget, Haney and Garcia produced a fight that everyone will remember.
Fight card between Devin Haney and Ryan García
- Ryan Garcia defeated. Devin Haney via MD 12 (115-109, 114-110, 112-112) for the WBC super lightweight title
- Arnold Barboza defeated. Sean McComb via SD 10 (97-93, 96-94, 92-98); Superlight
- Bektemir Melikuziev defeated. Pierre Dibombe via TD 8 (79-73, 79-73, 78-74); Super middleweights
- David Jiménez defeated. Johnny Ramírez via UD 12 (117-111, 117-111, 116-112) for the interim WBA super flyweight title
- Charles Conwell defeated. Nathaniel Gallimore by technical knockout 6 (0.52); Super welterweights
