In a world where attention spans are shorter than ever and media is consumed in short video clips and bite-sized snippets of text, the same platform is used by martial artists whose names and fan bases have blossomed thanks to social media. What happens if they exhibit abnormal behavior? Promote his fights or document his meltdowns in real time?
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It was an amazing experience to have Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas last month. The Super Bowl was exciting. Taylor Swift arrived in time from Japan, and the NFL's week in the sports gambling mecca went off without a hitch. Coincidentally, the week of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas created some excitement in the boxing world. Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) performed an impressive ring walk before his match against Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday, February 8th, a nod to the nickname “Showman” that Lopez gave himself. It was fitting. But it was the singular highlight of the night, with Lopez winning a decision in a sleeper-like bout.
The real fireworks happened Friday when Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia met on Radio Row. Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) have agreed to fight on April 20th for Haney's WBC junior welterweight title. The two men's entourages had to separate Garcia and Haney. Naturally, when the clip went viral, many wondered if it was a staged showdown to generate buzz for the fight. But there's a history between Haney and Garcia, and the two have split six fights since their professional days, and their amateur rivalry has slowly surfaced on social media. It has been smoldering, but with only a month left until this contest, how will the fight between these two young boxing stars unfold?
Leading up to the Haney vs. Garcia fight, the main talking point was Ryan Garcia's erratic posts on social media. There are too many to summarize in one article. In a later-deleted post, Devin Haney disapproved of Garcia's antics. “Please give Ryan an Oscar.” [award], please. This is all an act. The match will take place on April 20th. He's just pretending to be crazy to 'sell out', which is weird when some people are actually crazy, but he's just acting for attention.” The New York State Athletic Commission has now requested that Garcia undergo a mental health evaluation before the game. Garcia threatened to sue NYSAC and deactivated her social media accounts the same day.
What's confusing here is that Ryan Garcia previously took a break from the sport of boxing to deal with his mental health. After winning his fight against Luke Campbell in January 2021, Garcia did not fight again until April 2022. Garcia took that time to take care of his health and well-being, he said. Is Ryan Garcia crazy or as crazy as a fox?
With numerous amateur bouts between the two and years of social media feuds, it's clear that Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia definitely don't like each other. When Haney talked about Garcia recently, he didn't mince words. “He's a TikToker. He thinks this shit is a game…and that's what I'm going to show him on April 20th, that this shit is real. I'm coming to play. No, I'm a real fighter. I'm not someone who's trying to play games with you. You understand.”
Although their previous fights have been in the amateur ranks, Garcia has plenty of experience getting in the ring with Devin Haney. Both men are 25 years old and are two of the most intriguing young fighters in boxing. Not only is Haney's WBC championship at stake, but so are bragging rights in the rivalry between Haney and Garcia that began in the amateur ranks.
A win for Devin Haney would further strengthen his resume and accelerate his rise up the pound-for-pound ranking list. It would be a dream for Haney to successfully defend his title against amateur rival and considered peer Ryan Garcia. Haney has been more successful as a professional than Garcia, winning championships in multiple weight classes and still maintaining an undefeated record. But a win would significantly boost Garcia's stock and potentially give him the biggest win of his career. That would lend some legitimacy to Garcia's claim that he only lost to Gervonta Davis last year because of a catchweight and hydration clause that Davis insisted on before signing his contract. Garcia will be happy to hand his amateur rival Haney his first loss.
When considering Ryan Garcia's career, it's helpful to think about Teofilmo Lopez and Adrien Broner and their career paths. Ryan Garcia and Teofilmo Lopez are both immensely talented young fighters who have leveraged social media to build their respective fan bases. Like Garcia, Lopez has a lot of social media posts and erratic emotional outbursts that are putting his mental health at risk. Before his recent match with Josh Taylor, people wondered if Lopez was mentally fit to compete in a prize match against a guy like Taylor. Once Lopez won and became the unified champion of the second division, the conversation about Lopez returned to the topic of his talent.
Another man whose career is similar to Ryan Garcia's is Adrien Broner. Like Garcia, Broner was a thorn in his opponents' side early in his career. Like Garcia with Oscar De La Hoya, Broner had a falling out with his mentor and promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. Once Adrien Broner started facing career adversity inside the ring, it seemed like Broner could no longer address his problems outside of the ring.
If Ryan Garcia wins or performs well, concerns about his mental state and career trajectory will be alleviated. If he wins or comes close to winning gold at the championships, perhaps Ryan Garcia will feel motivated to work harder and fulfill his immense potential. But for Garcia, a loss to Haney, especially a decisive one, could be devastating. The whispers that Garcia is just a social media creation will only get louder. His quality wins as a young fighter over Luke Campbell and Javier Fortuna will be buried at the bottom of his career story feed. If Devin Haney proves to be on a different level than Ryan Garcia within a year of his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis, then Ryan Garcia will have to make some changes. Whether that change is in training camp, social media usage or elsewhere, this already feels like a career crossroads for 25-year-old Ryan Garcia.
Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia is an exciting matchup between two young, talented fighters that boxing needs. Both men have an amateur rivalry and since they don't really like each other, they could have a great match on April 20th. Unfortunately, what was an interesting matchup between two young stars in the highest division was overshadowed by Garcia's actions. Assuming this fight goes as planned, it should be a fascinating one. Devin Haney could strengthen his case as one of boxing's strongest pound-for-pound fighters. Ryan Garcia will be able to win his first professional championship, defeat his amateur rivals, and silence all the doubters. Brooklyn's Barclays Center will be noisy.
Win, lose or tie, both men should heed the words of the infamous big, one of Brooklyn's best. “Even if the game shakes me up or knocks me down, I hope it makes me a better person.”
