Okay, I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong about Ryan Garcia (25-1) . His thunderous left hook did a number on Devin Haney (31-1), knocking him down numerous times. Whether it was in the first round or later in the fight, he showcased his raw power on Saturday.
Granted, the controversial boxer is still a lightning rod in the community. However, he showed the world why he deserved more recognition for his boxing talent, stanky leg or not. In turn, he gained respect from fans and spectators alike.
ryan garcia winning taught me one thing
mfs switch up so fast when you're up…
the amount of people I saw clowning this man that are now glazing him and cheering for him is INSANE
learn to block out both the criticism & the praise
that's how you become great pic.twitter.com/H3TZrpblBd
— Jordan Welch (@jrdnwelch) April 21, 2024
Ryan Garcia really trolled us for 2 months and then went out there and beat up Devin Haney pic.twitter.com/3hMZYv7NoH
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) April 21, 2024
A major question about Ryan Garcia’s fighting ability stood out before the Haney fight. Could the Los Alamitos native handle a defined champion? How could he handle a fighter reliant on technique and efficiency? Devin Haney was a refined boxer who knew how to handle power with intelligent boxing.
Well, Garcia’s left hook did all the talking, landing three knockdowns on the WBC Super Lightweight champion. That included a first-round knockdown, which sent the crowd into a frenzy. In turn, Garcia proved he can overwhelm opponents with sheer power, taking over the fight immediately.
Conor McGregor is well-known for his trash talk, messing with his opponents mentally before finishing them off. He also backed up his trash talk with devastating blows and fighting, making him a dangerous MMA fighter. Ryan Garcia became boxing’s Conor McGregor, punishing Haney with hard left hooks throughout the night.
The only glaring problem was the WBC Super Lightweight title was off the table after Garcia missed weight. There were still signs of immaturity from the newly anointed superstar, showing he wasn’t taking the fight seriously. That might still rub some people the wrong way, which might lead to some in Garcia’s camp talking to him.
However, the Los Alamitos native earned plenty of respect from the boxing community and its fans. With an overwhelming performance, Ryan Garcia became a boxing superstar, becoming larger than life. Where is he going? Nobody knows. Still, the sky’s the limit for the star, where he’s making the sport relevant again like McGregor did with MMA.
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