result: Ryan Garcia dominated Devin Haney, winning by majority decision (112-112, 114-110, 115-109) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Garcia dropped the WBC super lightweight championship three times on his way to the biggest win of his career, but he fell three pounds over the 140-pound weight limit on Friday and was unable to win the title. Haney retains the title.
Key moments: Garcia's famous left hook troubled Haney from the opening round. Haney was knocked down three times in the seventh, 10th, and 11th rounds in a rough, chaotic, messy bout.
record: Garcia improved to 25-1 (20 wins), while Haney, who suffered his first loss, is now 31-1 (15 wins).
Talking points: An unexpected performance from Ryan Garcia and a disappointing performance from referee Harvey Dock. Garcia's antics in the build-up made everyone doubt the match would go ahead, but he showed up and if he could control himself and the distractions outside the ring, he could go far. He proved he had the talent to take him there. Doc didn't force his fighters to fight inside or try to break out of the clinch. In a split second he would jump in and separate them.
Quotable: “My left hook is my left hook. It's a blessing from God,” Garcia said in a post-fight interview with DAZN. “Every time I land it, you could be out or down. I knew I was in control after I dropped him, maybe my conditioning wasn't the best. But I got the job done.
Haney said with a swollen face, “I'm disappointed with my performance, but I was able to prove that I can fight even if I'm knocked down or injured.''
Both fighters agreed that they should fight each other again in the future.
What happens next? The world of Ryan Garcia is known only to those in the know. The next fight with Haney will be huge, but at what weight? Garcia may decide to move to welterweight, where the level of competition has decreased. Do not misunderstand that defeat hurts not only the body but also the mind. Haney seeks to right the wrong.
