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Mike Coppinger, ESPN
NEW YORK — Ryan Garcia’s fitness to fight was questioned in the lead-up to his bout Saturday night with Devin Haney, a turbulent promotion that was highlighted by Garcia’s erratic comments.
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) was a major underdog and was virtually counted out entering the fight. His blinding, powerful left hook turned the tide, however, as Garcia scored three knockdowns to pull the upset via majority-decision victory at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
One judge scored the bout 112-112 but was overruled by scores of 114-110 and 115-109 for Garcia. However, Garcia wasn’t eligible to win Haney’s WBC junior welterweight title after he weighed 143.2 pounds Friday for the 140-pound contest. The title will now become vacant.
Haney was a -900 favorite earlier in the week, according to ESPN BET, but closed at -575. Garcia pretended to drink a beer at Friday’s weigh-in and paid Haney upward of $600,000, sources told ESPN, as part of the deal for the fight to proceed.
One day earlier, Garcia made a bet with Haney and agreed to pay him $500,000 for every pound he weighed in at above 140. Haney later said Garcia honored the bet, which would mean Garcia paid Haney a total of $1.5 million.
Then in the opening minute of Saturday night’s fight, in a harbinger of what was to come, Garcia was the one who made Haney pay with a ripping left hook that rocked the champion.
Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) quickly recuperated and went on to outbox Garcia over the next four rounds. He even wobbled Garcia in Round 3 with a right hand while Garcia boxed off the back foot and looked for another counter left hook that would change the fight.
Garcia, 25, found it in Round 7 as he floored Haney, the first time Haney has been on the canvas in 32 pro fights — only Garcia didn’t capitalize. Moments after the knockdown, as the crowd erupted, Garcia crushed Haney, 25, with a right hand on the break and was deducted one point by referee Harvey Dock.
What should have been a two-point advantage for Garcia was nullified.
It didn’t matter.
Garcia floored Haney again in Round 10, this time with a tremendous right hand, the same punch he used to wobble Haney in Round 6.
The following round, Garcia landed his money punch again, a counter left hook that rolled Haney’s eyes as he was launched backward. Somehow, Haney sprung back up, his cheeks badly swollen, his mouth bloody.
Garcia went for the finish, but Haney was able to stave him off and heard the final bell in one of the most surprising and dramatic fights in recent memory.
