Ryan Garcia stunned career rival Devin Haney in Brooklyn, New York, to take the lead in their rivalry by four victories to three.
Fighting for the first time as professionals following six amateur bouts with shared results, Garcia stamped his authority early in the fight. Garcia rocked Haney with a big left hook, and little did the now-former WBC champion know that the writing was on the wall.
To his credit, Haney came back in round two despite both fighters landing. He got the better of the round and took that momentum into the following three sessions. Haney pushed Garcia back and took the center of the ring, with Garcia finally turning the tide in the sixth.
By the seventh, Garcia was back on top. He dropped Haney badly, the first knockdown of the two-weight world titleholder’s career. However, Garcia was deducted a point for hitting after the break. Garcia carried his dominance into rounds eight and nine as Haney was still clearly hurt from the seventh-round knockdown.
In the tenth, Garcia dropped Haney again and rocked the pre-fight favorite with another left hook after he got up. The sequence was repeated in the eleventh as Haney suffered a third canvas visit and Garcia pulled away on the scorecards.
Haney was in trouble for the entire round, but Garcia eased off for the final minute. Haney rallied in the twelfth, knowing he was behind, but it wasn’t enough.
Ultimately, the judges carded 112-112 even, with Garcia taking the victory 115-109 and 114-110. World Boxing News scored the fight 114-110 for ‘KingRy.’
Fans and media are already calling for a rematch, with Garcia stating that he’s willing to do it again after the fight. Haney added that he gave Garcia his shot, so the favor needs to be returned.
With both still young enough, a trilogy isn’t out of the question after what was a candidate for Fight of the Year due to the underdog tag on Garcia before the fight.
The Golden Boy star proved his antics were acting up despite calls for evaluations that Garcia has since shown to have been unwarranted. When the dust settles and the numbers are crunched, Ryan Garcia will prove to be a genius salesman and the next PPV superstar in boxing.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
