Ryan Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) pulled off an unbelievable upset performance on Saturday night, beating what many thought was the the #1 fighter in the 140-lb division, WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney (31-1, 15 KOs), winning an entertaining 12 round majority decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Ryan displayed his power, putting Haney down three times during the contest. The charismatic knockout artist dropped the previously unbeaten Haney in rounds 7, 10, and 11 with hard shots.
Haney barely made it out of round seven, getting dropped twice, but the referee only counted one of the knockdowns.
The fight had some controversy with the reference docking a point from Ryan in the seventh round for hitting on the break, but not taking points away from Haney for excessive holding.
The penalization of Ryan in the seventh gave Haney valuable time to recover after he’d been hurt and looked on the verge of being knocked out. The fight arguably could have been a much wider score in Ryan’s favor if the referee had penalized Haney for his clinching.
The Scorecards Tell the Story
Ryan didn’t let the point deduction foil his composure, as he kept attacking, and seemingly hurting Haney each time he landed cleanly during the contest.
Two of the judges scored it in Ryan’s favor, 114-110 and 115-109, while the third had it a draw at 112-112.
I had it for Ryan 115-109, and I felt he could have knocked Haney out in the seventh if not for the referee stopping the action to deduct a point from Ryan.
A New Era Begins
This victory for Ryan Garcia turns him into an instant star, as he dethrones the WBC champion, Haney. Ryan didn’t win Haney’s title because he came in overweight at 3.2 lbs during Friday’s weigh-in, but that matters little. What was important was the victory.
Ryan’s power, accuracy, and poise in beating the best fighter in the 140-lb division tonight were outstanding. Boxing fans will now be excited to see what Ryan does next, as he’s now one of the biggest stars in the world.
Does Ryan give Haney a rematch or does he move in another direction towards a fight against another opponent?
