Ryan Garcia floored Devin Haney 3 times on the way in which to a majority resolution victory of their 12-round super-lightweight battle in New York Metropolis, with the 25-year-old defying his regarding antics earlier than the battle.
Garcia spewed a sequence of erratic social media posts and shared a number of conspiracy theories within the weeks main as much as the battle with WBC super-lightweight world champion Haney.
He stated he had someway misplaced entry to his bank cards and cell phone, sparking issues for his wellbeing, though he assured followers he was OK.
However Garcia confirmed his speedy palms and all-round boxing prowess as soon as he acquired within the ring, laying out Haney with a trademark left hook within the seventh spherical, and sending the beforehand undefeated fighter to the canvas two extra occasions, within the tenth and eleventh rounds.
“Come on, guys, you actually thought I used to be loopy? You misplaced your complete thoughts,” Garcia stated after his victory.
“My left hook is my left hook. That is blessed by God.”
Judges scored the battle 112-112, 114-110, 115-109 in favour of Garcia, although the American was ineligible for Haney’s world title after lacking weight.
Garcia skolled from a beer stubby on the scales on the pre-fight weigh-in, though he later stated it was glowing apple juice.
Regardless, Garcia ended up 3.2 kilos (1.45 kilograms) over the 140-pound weight restrict, with Haney saying Garcia honoured a wager to pay him $US1.5 million — $US500,000 for each pound he was over.
“I do not give a f*** what folks say about me,” Garcia stated in his post-fight press convention, alongside boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya.
“I walked via the hearth and nonetheless held it down and nonetheless drank day-after-day and nonetheless beat him.
“Not essentially am I happy with that, however I am simply saying, it was an announcement to indicate you guys cannot actually f*** with me.”
Haney stated he was disillusioned together with his efficiency.
“However I confirmed that I can battle after a knockdown and getting damage,” he stated.
“I’d love a rematch. I gave him a shot, it is solely proper he offers me a shot again. He did not make weight, so I am nonetheless the champion. We are able to run it again.”
Garcia posted on social media that his “subsequent battle is to save lots of the kids”, saying he’s “going [to the] entrance strains”, with out elaborating on which entrance strains he means.
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ABC/Reuters