A good left hook can take a fighter a long way. Even if his skills are limited. Even if he’s crazy.
Ryan Garcia was excellent in the ring on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as he looked outstanding in his fight with Devin Haney, knocking the 140-pound champion down three times and winning by decision Incredible majority in a wild match.
Garcia didn’t win the title because he was 3.2 pounds over the limit but he made a huge statement, one that catapulted him to the next level of stardom.
Compilation of Ryan Garcia knocking out Devin Haney three different times ☠️🥊 pic.twitter.com/iGYP5V9bMa
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The result was shocking as many knowledgeable observers feared for Garcia’s safety because of his bizarre behavior and the ability of Haney, who had knocked out a series of elite opponents to climb the heavyweight list .
However, Garcia made it clear that he was a legitimate threat to Haney in the opening seconds of the fight, when he landed his fearsome left hook and sent Haney staggering backwards. A real war took place.
Haney (31-1, 15 KO) recovered in the final minute of the first round and took Garcia (25-1, 20 KO) down over the next several rounds, fighting behind his jab, feigning to keep Garcia lost his balance and landed enough blows to take the lead.
He even tracked Garcia for much of the first two-thirds of the fight, forcing Garcia into a defensive position. That’s not a good look for him.
However, there is a method to this madness: He just waits until he sees an opening. And then he pounced. That strategy and the strength in his left hand ultimately made the difference in a thrilling fight.
The drama began to peak in round 7, when Garcia knocked Haney down with a left hook and tried to finish the job. Then he made a critical mistake, punching the break. That prompted referee Harvey Dock to give him a point.
That ultimately didn’t matter as Haney still couldn’t avoid Garcia’s left hooks.
“I knew I was in control after that,” Garcia said afterward. “It’s hard to recover from big hits. Maybe my conditioning wasn’t the best but I got the job done.”
Garcia knocked Haney down a second time by blocking a series of tough shots with another left hook. And he rocked the champion with his signature punch with about a minute left, although this time he managed to stay on his feet.
Haney hit the canvas again in Round 11 from, you guessed it, another left hook with about a minute left on the clock. Haney stood up but his legs were shot and so was his confidence.
Garcia didn’t end the fight hastily, instead largely coming through in the final round. The funniest thing he did was do some jumping jacks and stick his tongue out at Haney. However, he had an insurmountable lead at the time.
He did what many considered nearly impossible, defeating a boxing wizard by decision. The official scores are 115-109, 114-110 and 112-112. Boxing Junkie also scored the win 114-110 for Garcia.
And they all landed on left hooks.
“My left hook is my left hook,” Garcia said afterward. “… I have been blessed by God. When it lands, it can knock you out or cause you to fall.”
The loss caused Haney to lose his WBC, which is now vacant. More importantly, it caused his motivation to stall. Talk of greatness before the war must now give way to the process of rebuilding.
After that he couldn’t say much.
“I’m disappointed with my performance,” he said. “I proved myself to be a true champion, fighting after being knocked down and injured.”
Garcia was asked if he would give Haney a rematch. He said without hesitation: “Yes, let’s run again.” And Haney has made it clear that a second fight with Garcia is at the top of his priority list. “Of course. I thought it was a close fight. I gave him a shot. It was only right to give me a chance.”
Fans won’t complain.
