Garcia stuns Haney with majority decision win

By Reuters
April 22, 2024
Ryan Garcia (right) punches Devin Haney on the way to a majority decision victory in their super-lightweight bout in Brooklyn, New York. — AFP/File
Ryan Garcia (right) punches Devin Haney on the way to a majority decision victory in their super-lightweight bout in Brooklyn, New York. — AFP/File

NEW YORK: Ryan Garcia floored Devin Haney three times on the way to a majority decision victory in their 12-round super lightweight fight on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

WBC super-lightweight world champion Haney suffered the first loss of his career as he was knocked down in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds. Judges scored the fight 112-112, 114-110, 115-109 in favour of Garcia, though the 25-year-old American was ineligible for Haney’s title after missing weight. Advertisement · Scroll to continue

In a chaotic buildup to the fight, Garcia drank a bottle of beer on the scales and sent out a string of erratic posts on his X and Instagram profile. “Come on, guys, you really thought I was crazy?! You lost your whole mind!” Garcia said after his victory. “My left hook is my left hook. That’s blessed by God.”