- Ryan Garcia's wild behavior was called into question before his match with Devin Haney
- But he dropped Haney three times on his way to punching her on Saturday.
- Garcia has proven to be boxing's most outrageous maverick since Mike Tyson.
Boxing remains one of the most unpredictable sports in the world, and fans and pundits alike looked foolish when Ryan Garcia scored a stunning upset win over Devin Haney in New York this weekend. .
Garcia's talent was never in question, but on Saturday night, few prayed for him to beat Haney, the ultimate pro, and for good reason. His pregame preparations were, to put it simply, chaotic.
Garcia and Haney won three times against each other as amateurs, but their careers have taken very different paths since turning pro.
Haney became the undisputed lightweight champion and then stepped up to win the world title at light welterweight, dropping very few rounds along the way, while Garcia went undefeated last year to Gervonta Davis , and months that seemed to have gone off track over the past 12 years.
It looked like he needed to be laser-focused to have any chance of beating Haney, but there was no indication he was in that mindset heading into Saturday night.
For weeks, fans wondered if the match would actually take place. Just days after the fight with Haney was announced, Garcia began posting a number of bizarre rants on social media, leaving everyone concerned for his well-being.
A disturbing video posted on Garcia's social media in early March claimed he had died after having his “throat slit,” but the 25-year-old responded by saying he was still alive. informed the people.
But it did little to allay her fears when she later claimed to have been raped by a family member as a child and said she had witnessed “human trafficking”.
He went on to share posts about “Satan” and “UFOs” on his account, then branded X owner Elon Musk the “Antichrist” and called for an earthquake to “destroy Hollywood and Las Vegas.” I predicted it.
This prompted the New York Athletic Commission to step in and make it clear that Garcia would have to pass a “mental health evaluation” before stepping into the ring to face Haney.
Garcia may have been advised to tone down during fight week as officials threaten to cancel the biggest fight of his career. But even if he did, he didn't pay attention.
After divorcing model ex-wife Andrea Serena in January, Garcia proposed to Australian porn star Savannah Bond early last week and she said yes!
That week was made even rougher when Garcia was ejected from the New York Mets' stadium just before the first pitch, then appeared at the pregame press conference and agreed to pay Haney $500,000. Every pound was over the weight limit.
He should have known he wouldn't weigh 140 pounds, and then he came under the weight limit by an astonishing 3.2 pounds, but he stepped on the scale and looked like he was drinking beer, so… I didn't care at all.
Haney could have called off the fight at that point, but he decided to reach an agreement with Garcia to keep the show going, and who could blame him? Garcia showed time and time again that he was not fit to fight. Night work was easy for Haney, right?
Fight night arrived, and Garcia finally appeared at peace as he warmed up in his dressing room to a classical music group, then hugged fellow maverick Mike Tyson.
But everything was clearly too late. Fights are won and lost in the gym, but Garcia didn't seem to have been to the gym in about two months.
Garcia, who entered the ring wearing a million-dollar crown, seemed destined to be embarrassed by Haney, but he had other ideas.
Garcia wobbled his fellow American with a left hook in the first round and sent him to the canvas in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds to win by majority decision.
After each knockdown, Garcia danced to the crowd, posed, and egged on Haney with seconds left in the final round. He knew it was enough to get his hand raised.
It was the ultimate showman's performance and Garcia proved all his doubters wrong.
So was it all an act? “Do you really think (he) is crazy?” Garcia asked the sold-out crowd at Barclays Center. Although he was right after the win, he claimed in the postgame press conference that he had been drinking and smoking every day during training camp.
Immediately after his victory, footage was also released in which Garcia appeared to be smoking marijuana, gleeful at defying the odds.
It's not hard to see where Garcia's eccentric behavior comes from. His father was seen getting into a heated argument with promoter Eddie Hearn after Saturday's fight, but the pair quickly made up.
We may never know how much of Garcia's actions were fake and how much was real, but one thing is for certain: he's now one of the most high-profile figures in boxing. Thing.
Garcia had been accused of being just an Instagram fighter due to his huge following on social media, but by defeating the pound-for-pound star he proved he was much more than that. did.
Since taking on Davis and Haney in two of his last three fights, he's shown he's not afraid of the biggest challenge and now has the world at his feet.
While a rematch between Davis and Haney could be on the table, Garcia also had a war of words with Britain's Conor Benn on Sunday's X.
He could move up a weight class to face undefeated American Jaron Ennis, but Garcia has also hinted he could move up even further to take on 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora.
Despite being a historically rich sport, boxing hasn't had a fighter as wild as Garcia since Tyson.
Every fight, press conference and weigh-in is an event with a heavyweight great, and Garcia has been in the spotlight as well over the past two months. And he won in the ring.
It remains to be seen whether Garcia can emulate Tyson's success, but it appears the 25-year-old's journey is just beginning.
No matter who he fights next, fans will be watching, with some hoping to see him humble and others hoping he continues to rise.
Boxing hasn't had a more polarizing figure since Floyd Mayweather in his prime, but Garcia's arrival has gotten casual fans and hardcore fans talking about the sport again.
For now, he will bask in the glory of his biggest victory. But an even bigger battle is definitely around the corner.
