By: Sean Crose
Devin Haney was defeated by Ryan Garcia on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. That’s not the way things were supposed to go. Garcia, who had been acting strangely before the fight, missed weight by more than three pounds and was said to not be taking the fight seriously. Suffice it to say, Garcia surprised a lot of people by knocking out Haney three times en route to a majority decision win. With that said, the strange, powerful and incredibly talented Garcia is currently the biggest figure in boxing – at least for now.
What about Haney? Most assumed it would be him and not Garcia, who would be the biggest figure in boxing to walk away this past weekend. Where did he go wrong on Saturday – or was there nothing he could have done to stop the lightning-fast artillery that Garcia repeatedly unleashed throughout the fight? Even before the opening bell, this man didn’t look so good. Unlike Garcia, Haney has made a weight cut – a move that could actually hurt his chances against Garcia in the ring. Haney also made the mistake – strange for him – of allowing himself to be beaten by Garcia. Even when he retreated while injured, Haney continued to move straight back, leaving himself vulnerable to attack.
However, is there more to it than that? Did Garcia’s strange actions leading up to the fight somehow stick in Haney’s mind? If so, this would not be the first time such an incident has occurred before a professional boxing match. It is said that Muhammad Ali (then still Cassius Clay) got inside the head of heavyweight champion Sonny Liston but well before Ali dethroned the reigning champion in 1964. Going back further, “Two Ton” Tony Galento did such a good job of putting himself inside Joe Louis that Luis even admitted it. Perhaps that’s why Galento was able to beat Louis in their 1939 title match (Louis came out on top and won).
No one can really say what impact Garcia had on Haney’s performance Saturday night. He doesn’t look like the masterful Haney that people are used to seeing, however, not by a long shot. While no one is suggesting that Garcia doesn’t have more power than Haney, it’s still surprising to see him have more power. Could it be that in the midst of the chaos of the war, Haney somehow lost focus? Or could Haney simply be a victim of his own overconfidence? Or is Garcia simply a far superior fighter in the end?
If the rematch between the two falls through, those questions may be answered.
