Ryan Garcia Reflects on Controversial Win Over Devin Haney
Kosport Magazine – 02/12/2024
Ryan Garcia’s victory over Devin Haney was a highly anticipated matchup in the world of boxing. The two young fighters, both undefeated, were set to face off in a battle for the WBC lightweight title. And while Garcia ultimately came out on top with a majority decision, the fight was not without its controversies.
Garcia, known for his explosive power and speed, felt that he should have been able to knock out Haney rather than just win by decision. He even went as far as to blame referee Harvey Dock for not allowing him to finish the fight when he had Haney hurt.
In the opening round, Garcia set the tone with a huge left hook that rattled Haney. But it was in the seventh round when Garcia had his first knockdown, only to have it negated by Dock who deducted a point from Garcia for punching after he demanded a break. This decision by the referee left Garcia feeling like he was robbed of the opportunity to finish the fight.
Despite the penalty, Garcia continued to dominate with two more knockdowns in the 10th and 11th rounds, securing the victory. However, looking back on his performance, Garcia believes he could have done even better if he hadn’t put so much pressure on himself to finish the fight.
But Garcia’s thoughts quickly turned to a potential rematch with Haney. Both fighters expressed interest in a rematch immediately after the fight, but Garcia later revealed that his body had gone through a lot in his attempt to make weight for the fight. In fact, he missed weight by 3.2 pounds, but the fight still went on as scheduled.
With this fight behind him, Garcia has no plans to attempt to make weight for the lightweight division again. Instead, he is looking to move up to the welterweight division and has his sights set on a potential matchup with Sebastian Fundura at 154 pounds.
While Garcia may have some unfinished business with Haney and Gervonta Davis, who handed him his only loss, he is ready to move on and take on new challenges in the ring. And with his explosive power and determination, it’s clear that Ryan Garcia is a force to be reckoned with in the world of boxing.
