Ryan Garcia's erratic behavior has overshadowed every storyline involving him and WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney. The rivals meet in the boxing ring on Saturday with only Haney eligible to win the title after Garcia missed weight on Friday.
A fight between two of boxing's top young stars has been swept up in the cyclone of Garcia's concerning mental state. Garcia's irregular behavior and obsession with conspiracy theories raised the question, "what happened to Ryan Garcia?" Most expect the implosion of a promising young boxer. Some viewers hope this is an elaborate ruse by Garcia, but missing weight by three pounds does not support that theory.
Garcia is coming off a knockout over Oscar Duarte in December, which was a bounce back from the first loss of his career in his highest-profile fight to date. Garcia was stopped via body shot against Gervonta "Tank" Davis where many questioned if he could have continued.
Haney looks laser-focused. The undefeated former undisputed lightweight champion has a legitimate beef with Garcia and is not sympathetic to his foe's unstable conduct. Saturday presents an opportunity for Haney to usurp Garcia's star power. Haney is the champion and more accomplished fighter; however, Garcia's aptitude for social media makes him the more globally recognized fighter. The odds favor Haney as the better fighter in almost every regard but Garcia's speed and signature left hook create just enough doubt and intrigue.
Haney has been on a roll in the last few years. He became undisputed lightweight king with a pair of victories over George Kambosos in Australia in 2022 before vacating the titles and moving up to 140 pounds. He earned the vacant strap with a thrashing of Regis Prograis last December.
"Ryan may have the speed but I have the timing," Haney said. "I just want to show how I am levels above this guy. Ryan is an average fighter with a big name. I am a proven fighter, proven champion [and] I was tested by some of the best fighters in the world.
"I think Ryan is a C+ fighter and I'm an A+ fighter, so it's a mismatch. I am here for a reason. It's me versus greatness."
The only other fight of note on the undercard sees an interim title at stake in the flyweight division when John Ramirez battles David Jimenez. Ramirez is unbeaten at 13-0 with nine knockouts so far in his young career. The 27-year-old completed a perfect 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 closer look at the rest of the undercard before getting to a prediction and pick on the main event.
Haney vs. Garcia fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
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 information
Date: April 20 | Location: Barclays Center -- Brooklyn, New York
Start time: 8 p.m. ET
How to watch: DAZN PPV, PPV.com | Price: $69.99 with subscription, $79.99 without
Predictions
Campbell: The puncher's chance that Garcia brings into the ring with him thanks to his sublime hand speed and reckless demeanor of late is a challenge that Haney will need to deftly avoid early on. But the longer this fight goes, the more chances Garcia's fledgling technique has in letting him down with the kind of mistake that a technical master like Haney can make him pay with ease. Once Garcia settles down from an inevitably aggressive start, it becomes only a matter of time before Haney times him with the kind of clean counter shot that could bring an immediate end to the fight. Pick: Haney via KO8
Brookhouse: There are two ways Ryan Garcia could conceivably defeat Devin Haney. Let's first look at the more complex of those paths to victory. In this case, Garcia has to be better than he has ever been while Haney has to have the worst night of his career, which means Garcia has also been pulling one of history's greatest troll jobs by making everyone believe he's in the middle of a mental health crisis and focusing on seemingly everything other than this, the biggest fight of his life.
The other path to victory for Garcia is far more simple. Focused or not. Mentally healthy or not. Just land his patented left hook flush to Haney's jaw in a way that keeps the champion down.
Haney has been buzzed in his career and his reaction was successful, though not inspiring. When Jorge Linares clipped him in the 10th round of their 2021 fight, Haney looked to just survive to the final bell, running and holding more than fighting. And Joseph Diaz's late pressure in the next fight seemed to trouble Haney a bit as well.
But Haney has gotten better and grown from those fights. He approached his two fights with George Kambosos without fear, as he did against Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis.
As much as I've toyed with the idea, I can't pick Garcia to land the shot he needs for the knockout. Haney is not going to be defeated by head games. He is a boxer to his core, too focused to abandon his life's work and fight recklessly, and Haney is, skill-for-skill, simply better than Garcia. Unless Garcia lands a perfect punch, the real question is whether Haney simply tactically bludgeons him for a full 12 rounds or if he finishes Garcia off. I think we see the latter, possibly with Garcia somewhat voluntarily escorting himself out of the fight along the way. Pick: Haney via TKO10
Wise: There is the possibility of some "crazy like a fox" at play here, but it's going to take a monumental effort from Garcia to prove it to everyone after the hellacious slog this has been. At every turn, it has felt as though Garcia has either not taken this seriously or rushed into a fight he knows he can't win. While Haney is not known for his power, he is arguably one of the best technically skilled fighters in the world. And with the openings that Garcia is bound to leave open when he tries to pick at Haney from a distance, Haney will punish him with vicious counter punching. Keep in mind, it's not as though Garcia has a rock chin after being flash knocked down by Luke Campbell in 2021. Unless the decision to stop cutting weight truly pays off early with power, Garcia is bound to get caught by something and not respond well when it happens. Pick: Haney via TKO6
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