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Mike Coppinger, ESPN
NEW YORK — Ryan Garcia's fitness to fight was in question heading into Saturday night's bout with Devin Haney, a tumultuous promotion highlighted by Garcia's erratic comments.
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) was a big underdog and virtually didn't count coming into the fight. But Garcia won by majority decision at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, going down three times to pull off the upset and turning the tide with his spectacularly powerful left hook.
One judge scored the fight 112-112, but Garcia's scores were overturned 114-110 and 115-109. However, Garcia weighed 143.2 pounds in Friday's 140-pound bout, making him ineligible for Haney's WBC junior welterweight title. The title is now vacant.
Haney was a -900 favorite earlier this week, but finished at -575, according to ESPN BET. Sources told ESPN that Garcia pretended to drink beer at Friday's weigh-in and paid Haney more than $600,000 as part of a deal to continue the fight.
The day before, Mr. Garcia made a bet with Mr. Haney, agreeing to pay him $500,000 for every 140 pounds he weighed. Mr. Haney later said Mr. Garcia honored his bet, and Mr. Garcia ended up paying Mr. Haney a total of $1.5 million.
In an early sign of things to come in Saturday night's match, Garcia was the one to make Haney pay with a powerful left hook that rocked the champion.
The 25-year-old Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) quickly recovered and outboxed Garcia for the next four rounds. In the third round, he even wobbled Garcia with a right hand while Garcia boxed off on the back foot and went for another counter left hook that changed the fight.
Garcia, 25, found that out when he sent Haney to the floor in the seventh round. It was Haney's first appearance on the canvas in 32 professional fights, but Garcia was the only one to fail to capitalize. Immediately after the knockdown, as the crowd roared, Garcia crushed Haney with a right hand on the break and was deducted one point by referee Harvey Dock.
What was supposed to be a two-point advantage for Garcia was negated.
It didn't matter.
Garcia defeated Haney again in the 10th round, this time with a stunning right hand, the same punch that wobbled Haney in round 6.
In the next round, Garcia landed another money punch and a counter left hook that sent Haney wide-eyed as he was launched backwards onto the canvas. Somehow Haney got back to his feet, but his cheeks were severely swollen and his mouth was bloody.
Garcia went for the finish, but Haney blocked him and heard the final bell in one of the most amazing and dramatic bouts in recent memory.
