April 21, (THEWILL) – Ryan Garcia pulled off an electrifying performance when he scored a monumental upset over WBC super lightweight champion, Devin Haney. He beat the previously unbeaten fighter by majority decision in a thrilling bout on Saturday night at the Barclays Center.
The 24-year-old Garcia, whose mental state was heavily scrutinised leading up to the fight, demonstrated his explosive power by handing Haney the first three knockdowns of his career.
Garcia set the tone early, rocking Haney with thunderous left hooks in the opening round. Haney then gained control before Garcia’s resurgence in the seventh, flooring the champion and unleashing a ferocious barrage.
Despite a point deduction, Garcia continued his onslaught, scoring two more knockdowns in the championship rounds to seal the victory. “You really thought I was crazy?” an elated Garcia shouted after handing Haney his first career loss. The spectacular performance has already sparked talks of it being the best bout of 2024.
Haney, who entered as the overwhelming favourite, saw his legacy dented by the loss. The 24-year-old had unified the lightweight division in 2022 before moving up in weight to capture the super lightweight title. A rematch with Garcia appears likely as Haney will be bent on regaining his lost championship.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
