Promoter Eddie Hearn has predicted that Devin Haney will defeat Ryan Garcia by knockout in the highly anticipated headliner of the DAZN PPV on April 20th in Brooklyn, New York.
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) isn't known for his power and hasn't knocked anyone out in five years since 2019, but Hearn believes his punches are getting stronger now that he's fighting at 140. I believe there is.
He notes that Haney dropped his last opponent, former WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis, to dethrone him last December. That knockdown was of the flash variety as Haney caught Prograis with a shot he wasn't expecting. He wasn't hurt.
Haney's power is questioned
- Hearn cited Haney's knockdown of Regis Prograis as an example of his power. However, it was a flash knockdown.
- Haney has not knocked out an opponent in his past eight fights dating back to 2019. For fighters, the period between knockouts is long.
- Attrition Effect: If Haney goes down from 170 to 140, the fighter facing Ryan will be weakened and can take away a lot of his health. Even if Haney loses 25 to 30 pounds of fluid, he could be debilitated.
Hearn did not mention the possibility of Haney being physically exhausted for the fight. He started losing weight to reach 140 and already looks painfully thin.
Haney is hydrated up to 165-170, so that could take something away from him and make weight for this fight, which could affect his power.
Ryan's Strategy and Preparation
“I think he's going to have a huge edge in the game. We don't really know what kind of situation Ryan is in, but if Ryan is at his best, he'll be competitive,” Eddie Hearn said. spoke on Fight Hub TV about the April 20th fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
“He punches hard and reacts well,” Hearn continued of Ryan. “Actually, he has a good style to match up against Devin Haney. But Devin is so focused and so sharp. I think he's much better at 140 pounds. .
“I expect him to win the round and smash. I think he'll stop Ryan Garcia in New York. I will. I'm very confident. He had Regis [Prograis] I was depressed and hurt,” Hearn said of Haney. “He's grown to 140 pounds. He punches much harder, his timing is better, and if Ryan gets desperate and misses, he'll flush.
“If he does that, it will show how well Ryan Garcia is preparing. Personally, I believe he will stop Ryan Garcia. It depends on the fight that Ryan Garcia fights. If he's stubborn, maybe not, but if he's aggressive, which he has to be in this game, there's a good chance he can be stopped,'' Hearn said.
When asked if Ryan could beat Haney, Hearn shook his head and smiled.
