Ryan Garcia defeats Devin Haney leaving the boxing world Shellshocked

By Kim Francis April 23, 2024 15:27

Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images

Love him or hate him, Ryan Garcia is good for boxing and has become its face after winning Saturday’s fight against Devan Haney. NO ONE was predicting a Garcia win except Garcia’s camp. Despite missing weight by three pounds, the night belonged to Garcia including three Haney knockdowns. Garcia’s will to win was unstoppable and with each punch, he seemed more energized, while Haney’s energy was evaporating into discouragement from Garcia’s first left hook punch and put him in the position to chase Garcia for the rest of the fight.

Leading up to Saturday’s epic battle between these two great fighters, Garcia was already a well-known fighter in the ring, however in this match up, he was better known for what he was saying and doing outside of it. Everyone thought Garcia was more focused on the chaos and distractions than on preparing for Haney. Was this the Garcia’s camp strategy all along? Regardless, from the first-round bell, any of the pre-fight banter was put to rest by Garcia in the ring!

Garcia is an expert in using social media to leverage influence. He had a massive following on social media pre-fight with eleven million followers on Instagram and over seven million on TikTok. He is not afraid to speak the truth, and with that comes plenty of criticism.

Many people questioned his mental stability after recent controversial posts on social media. Some fans and analysts were left to wonder if Garcia's fight with Haney at the Barclay's Center would or should happen. He received backlash for promoting conspiracy theories and making unfounded health claims.

Despite the critics and, regardless of any of the noise around Garcia’s camp, one thing that is no longer in question is that Ryan Garcia knows how to win. He also earned what the ‘Queen of Rock N Roll’ Miss Aretha Franklin’s most popular song was - R E S P E C T! He rocked Haney with his patented left hook on each of the knockdowns in their 12-round super lightweight fight. Post victory, Garcia improved to 25-1 and Haney fell to 31-1. With his victory, Garcia earned immeasurable respect as a fighter and increased his already massive brand in the process. Haney, on the other hand, must regroup after this humbling defeat, the first of his career.

As of Saturday night, both fighters have expressed their desire for a rematch. At the post-fight press conference, De La Hoya made it clear the world is Ryan’s oyster and he will be calling the shots on who he fights next.

"Popularity doesn't win fights. Skills and strategy do. Heart also does," analyst Sergio Mora, himself a former world champion, said on the pay-per-view broadcast. "Ryan Garcia's got all of it. They needed to see heart, they needed to see courage, he needed to face adversity. Well, he passed all the tests."

After Saturday’s powerful performance, Ryan Garcia is sitting on the throne at the top of the boxing world and one thing is certain, we will be watching with anticipation for his next move.