Ryan Garcia’s erratic habits has overshadowed each storyline involving him and WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney. The rivals meet within the boxing ring on Saturday with solely Haney eligible to win the title after Garcia missed weight on Friday.
A combat between two of boxing’s prime younger stars has been swept up within the cyclone of Garcia’s regarding psychological state. Garcia’s irregular habits and obsession with conspiracy theories raised the query, “what occurred to Ryan Garcia?” Most count on the implosion of a promising younger boxer. Some viewers hope that is an elaborate ruse by Garcia, however lacking weight by three kilos doesn’t assist that idea.
Garcia is coming off a knockout over Oscar Duarte in December, which was a bounce again from the primary lack of his profession in his highest-profile combat so far. Garcia was stopped through physique shot in opposition to Gervonta “Tank” Davis the place many questioned if he may have continued.
Haney appears to be like laser-focused. The undefeated former undisputed light-weight champion has a official beef with Garcia and isn’t sympathetic to his foe’s unstable conduct. Saturday presents a possibility for Haney to usurp Garcia’s star energy. Haney is the champion and extra completed fighter; nevertheless, Garcia’s aptitude for social media makes him the extra globally acknowledged fighter. The percentages favor Haney as the higher fighter in virtually each regard however Garcia’s velocity and signature left hook create simply sufficient doubt and intrigue.
Haney has been on a roll in the previous couple of years. He turned undisputed light-weight king with a pair of victories over George Kambosos in Australia in 2022 earlier than vacating the titles and shifting as much as 140 kilos. He earned the vacant strap with a thrashing of Regis Prograis final December.
“Ryan might have the velocity however I’ve the timing,” Haney stated. “I simply need to present how I’m ranges above this man. Ryan is a median fighter with a giant identify. I’m a confirmed fighter, confirmed champion [and] I used to be examined by a number of the finest fighters on the planet.Â
“I feel Ryan is a C+ fighter and I am an A+ fighter, so it is a mismatch. I’m right here for a cause. It is me versus greatness.”
The one different combat of word on the undercard sees an interim title at stake within the flyweight division when John Ramirez battles David Jimenez. Ramirez is unbeaten at 13-0 with 9 knockouts up to now in his younger profession. The 27-year-old accomplished an ideal 2023 with a fourth-round knockout of Ronal Batista in October to earn his title shot. Jimenez, 32, is 15-1 with 11 KOs on his resume. Jimenez is on a three-fight win streak since his lone defat in January 2023 to Artem Dalakian.
Let’s take a better have a look at the remainder of the undercard earlier than attending to a prediction and choose on the primary occasion.
Haney vs. Garcia combat card, odds
Devin Haney (c) -910 |
Ryan Garcia +575 |
WBC junior welterweight title |
John Ramirez -200 |
David Jimenez +160 |
WBA interim flyweight title |
Arnold Barboza -1100 |
Sean McComb +650 |
Junior welterweights |
Bektemir Melikuziev -1200 |
Pierre Dibombe +700 |
Middleweights |
Viewing info
Date:Â April 20Â |Â Location:Â Barclays Middle — Brooklyn, New York
Begin time: 8 p.m. ET
How you can watch:Â DAZN PPV, PPV.com |Â Worth:Â $69.99 with subscription, $79.99 with out
Predictions
Campbell: The puncher’s likelihood that Garcia brings into the ring with him because of his chic hand velocity and reckless demeanor of late is a problem that Haney might want to deftly keep away from early on. However the longer this combat goes, the extra probabilities Garcia’s fledgling approach has in letting him down with the sort of mistake {that a} technical grasp like Haney could make him pay with ease. As soon as Garcia settles down from an inevitably aggressive begin, it turns into solely a matter of time earlier than Haney occasions him with the sort of clear counter shot that would carry an instantaneous finish to the combat. Choose: Haney through KO8
Brookhouse:Â There are two methods Ryan Garcia may conceivably defeat Devin Haney. Let’s first have a look at the extra advanced of these paths to victory. On this case, Garcia must be higher than he has ever been whereas Haney has to have the worst evening of his profession, which suggests Garcia has additionally been pulling one in all historical past’s best troll jobs by making everybody imagine he is in the midst of a psychological well being disaster and specializing in seemingly the whole lot apart from this, the most important combat of his life.
The opposite path to victory for Garcia is way extra easy. Centered or not. Mentally wholesome or not. Simply land his patented left hook flush to Haney’s jaw in a manner that retains the champion down.
Haney has been buzzed in his profession and his response was profitable, although not inspiring. When Jorge Linares clipped him within the tenth spherical of their 2021 combat, Haney seemed to simply survive to the ultimate bell, operating and holding greater than preventing. And Joseph Diaz’s late strain within the subsequent combat appeared to bother Haney a bit as nicely.
However Haney has gotten higher and grown from these fights. He approached his two fights with George Kambosos with out concern, as he did in opposition to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis.
As a lot as I’ve toyed with the concept, I can not choose Garcia to land the shot he wants for the knockout. Haney will not be going to be defeated by head video games. He’s a boxer to his core, too centered to desert his life’s work and combat recklessly, and Haney is, skill-for-skill, merely higher than Garcia. Until Garcia lands an ideal punch, the true query is whether or not Haney merely tactically bludgeons him for a full 12 rounds or if he finishes Garcia off. I feel we see the latter, probably with Garcia considerably voluntarily escorting himself out of the combat alongside the best way. Choose: Haney through TKO10
Smart:Â There’s the potential for some “loopy like a fox” at play right here, however it should take a monumental effort from Garcia to show it to everybody after the hellacious slog this has been. At each flip, it has felt as if Garcia has both not taken this significantly or rushed right into a combat he is aware of he cannot win. Whereas Haney will not be recognized for his energy, he’s arguably the most effective technically expert fighters on the planet. And with the openings that Garcia is sure to depart open when he tries to select at Haney from a distance, Haney will punish him with vicious counter punching. Take into accout, it isn’t as if Garcia has a rock chin after being flash knocked down by Luke Campbell in 2021. Until the choice to cease slicing weight really pays off early with energy, Garcia is sure to get caught by one thing and never reply nicely when it occurs. Choose: Haney through TKO6Â
Who wins Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia, and which prop is a must-back? Go to SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s finest bets for Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney on Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a revenue of practically $4,000, and discover out.