Ryan Garcia took the majority of the spotlight during fight week festivities for his clash with Devin Haney, unsurprisingly given his demeanor.
The brash, manic, confident, and edgy persona he’s adopted since the event was confirmed a couple of months ago was front and center for all to witness in the flesh. The press conference was no different from the workout as Garcia’s statements reached into the unprintable realm so much that Golden Boy struggled to put anything significant of what Garcia had to say.
“I have said everything. I don’t know what else I can add. What do you want me to do? I’ve already done it all/ Now I’m just ready to kick ass in the ring. I’m on fire. I’m strong,” said Garcia in the GBP snippet.
But that was far from what went on. Garcia was firing on all cylinders in what promoter Oscar De La Hoya can no longer state is ‘trolling.’ That excuse used through the weeks before fight week doesn’t wash when somebody is in the flesh. Trolling is an exclusively online practice, and that’s not the vibe Garcia has been giving out over the last few days.
If he genuinely tried to sell the fight by threatening to permanently eliminate Devin Haney, targeting the media and their moms, and ‘being like Mike Tyson,’ then the proof will be in the sales.
De La Hoya believes the fight can do over 1.5 million Pay Per View sales, a bold prediction for a fight not sold out in a 20,000 arena. Almost every section has tickets available with less than 48 hours to go until the pair of super lightweights contest Haney’s WBC title. Closer to the ring will make the event seem crowded, but thousands of tickets remain on sale and re-sale in the back rows.
Judging by the gate, the fight has failed as De La Hoya lowered prices constantly. Fans can since purchase towards the rear for around $150, which was unthinkable when the tickets opened up for public sale. Garcia’s protests were instant when back rows were pushing $500, which was an ambitious plan for a fight showcasing two West Coast boxers in an East Coast venue.
The only redemption for Garcia will be the PPV and streaming numbers, as the Barclays Center won’t be full on fight night. Therefore, one of the justifications he can use post-fight for his erratic behavior has already gone. If De La Hoya’s prediction of over a million comes true, then there will be some vindication for both the Chairman and the fighter, but gauging the interest, that’s a long shot.
Predictions among media around 400,000 seem realistic, but it won’t be enough for Garcia to explain why he’s acted unruly for weeks. Even taking away the social media spats, vile posts, and conspiracies, Garcia’s behavior has been weird at best and entirely out of his usual character, to where a significant section of the boxing community is questioning whether the New York Commission should sanction the fight.
“KingRy,” says he’s passed every test thrown at him and is completely fine mentally., which still doesn’t explain his comments at the press conference. Even his opponent was at a loss to explain what was going on in Garcia’s mind.
“Something is wrong with this mother*****r. Something is wrong with him. This is not normal. I don’t know if he’s taking this fight seriously or not,” stated Haney.
A quick browse at the pre-fight odds will tell you all you need to know about what the bookmakers are seeing. Haney was +300 for a knockout at the opening odds and a -150 favorite to defeat Garcia. Due to how Garcia has conducted himself, Haney is now +125 for a knockout and -900 to win the fight. This scenario of fractions may have been something Garcia had banked on if his activities were only to build the fight.
Therefore, anyone who fancies Garica to execute the greatest game plan in history to cause an upset can take a punt at +900 for the underdog to finish Haney early.
Ryan Garcia is either a genius or in grave danger if Haney is on top of his game.
Golden Boy Promotions presents Haney vs. Garcia in association with Haney Promotions, KingRy Promotions, and Matchroom Boxing. The mega-event will occur at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 20, exclusively live on DAZN PPV.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay. Learn more, read all articles from the experienced boxing writer, and follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
