A path to victory is there for Ryan Garcia to defeat WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney on April 20th, says former boxer and boxing expert Sergio Mora.
Mora believes Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) has to do a better job of using his right hand to set up the check left hook that he likes to throw to score his knockouts win.
Sergio says Ryan will need to be more mobile in this fight to get within range to land, as Haney likes to stay on the outside to use his reach and throw a lot of jabs.
When Haney does come in close, it’s usually to throw a single punch and then retreat back to the safety of the outside.
Mora notes that Ryan has the hand speed and power advantage in this fight. He also has a better chin than the 25-year-old Haney, who has been hurt by weaker, smaller opponents.
Garcia’s Assets and Past Performance
“When you have speed and power, of course, there’s a path to victory, and Ryan Garcia already has already fought Devin Haney, so there’s familiarity as well,” said boxing expert Sergio Mora to DAZN about the April 20th fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
It will be difficult for Ryan because Haney is so defensive now, and he moves well to escape when his opponents come after him. We’ve seen Haney tie up his opponents frequently when they get near enough to land, and it makes it difficult for them to get their shots off.
Ideally, the referee should warn Haney not to hold, but that’s not realistic. That’s why it’s going to be important for Ryan to increase his foot speed to pursue Haney the way that Vasily Lomachenko did.
“In Ryan Garcia’s last fight [against Oscar Duarte], he showed he can go forward, and he showed he can go back,” said Mora. “He moved a little bit too much against Duarte, but in hindsight, that was the right strategy. He was setting up Duarte for something big.
Overcoming Haney’s Range
“With Haney, he’s going to have to go forward. He’s not going to be fighting off the front foot that much. He’s going to be testing with the jab, but the range is going to be the main thing. How does Ryan Garcia break that range and footwork?”
It’s going to be really important for Ryan to close the distance on Haney because if he fails to do so, he’ll get jabbed all night and will lose by a wide decision. Mora notes that Ryan is flat-footed, but he felt he did a better jab in his last contest against Oscar Duarte last December.
Ryan is going to need to do a lot better than that for him to get to Haney, who will be using his step-back move all night, and he won’t care if the fans boo him. He just wants to win.
“Ryan has been flat-footed in the past, but in his last fight, there was a little more movement. A bit more lateral movement, backing up and going forward. He’s going to need all of that. He’s going to need all of that with Haney.
Exploiting Haney’s Vulnerabilities
“Is there a path to victory? Yes, because Haney has been hurt. He’s been hurt by smaller fighters. Loma hurt him with a right hand. That’s going to be a key. He’s been hurt by a right-hand several times. I think that the right hand is going to be a factor.
“So, if Ryan Garcia can actually break that range smart, use good footwork, and set up that right hand because Ryan throws the fight hand just to throw the check left hook. It’s predictable now. That’s how he caught against Tank Davis. You can bet Devin Haney is going to be looking for the same thing.
“So, straight right hand, throw it downstairs, mix up the jab. I think there’s a path to victory there, and he has a better chin than Devin Haney,” said Mora.
