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By: Sean Crose
Saturday night, it all went down. After one of the strangest leadups to a fight in recent memory, the 31-0 Devin Haney and the 24-1 Ryan Garcia finally did battle at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Although Garcia literally didn’t stand a chance of winning Haney’s WBC junior welterweight title (due to the fact he had weighed in more than three pounds overweight at Friday’s official weigh in) he could silence all the doubters if he somehow delivered an upset win. Would he be able to do that, however?
Garcia came out flicking a fast jab in the first. Then, in what clearly came as a shock to many, he rocked the heavily favored Haney. He then rocked Haney again. He then rocked Haney a third time. Haney, however, was able to survive the round. A far more effective Haney fired off his jab throughout the second. Haney took to grabbing Garcia when they got in close in the third. He then rocked Garcia. Hard. Like Haney, however, Garcia survived the moment as well as the round.
Haney employed his own left hook in the fourth while Garcia was able to score with a strong right. Garcia then took to moving about the ring in order to avoid his opponent until the opportunity for a good shot presented itself. Haney continued to land his left in the fifth while Garcia continued to move about the ring. Right when things looked bad Garcia, however, he managed to tag Haney again early in the sixth. Later in the round, Garcia took to almost turning his back to Haney. As Garcia continued to move about, the crowd booed.
Garcia dropped Haney again in the seventh. Haney got to his feet, but he was badly hurt. Garcia went in for the kill, the referee stopped the action in order to take a point off Garcia’s card for hitting on the break….yet Garcia dropped Haney once again, but it was was somehow ruled a push or a slip. After surviving the round, Haney went on to have a better eighth. The ninth saw Haney banging away at Garcia’s body as Garcia nearly turned his back on the action.
Yet Garcia decked Haney yet again in the tenth. Yet again, Haney got back to his feet. Still, Garcia rocked Haney yet again later in the tenth. Garcia tagged Haney once more in the eleventh, dropping Haney again. Haney got up once more, but he was taking a real beating. Clearly concussed, Haney tried to hold on strong. The final round contained a lot of holding. Then Garcia took to mocking Haney and showboating as the round wound down.
After the final bell, the judges ruled in favor of Garcia via majority decision.
“Come on guys, you really thought I was crazy?” Garcia asked in the post fight interview. “You done lost your own minds!”
He then took to scolding his doubters after weeks of odd behavior.
“You guys do not love the truth,” he said. “The truth is in front of you.”
