Devin Haney Vs. Ryan Garcia: B/R Staff Predictions

It’s a fight that has been the talk of the boxing world.

Undefeated Devin Haney will defend his WBC super lightweight championship against Ryan Garcia at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

There’s been plenty of trash talk and controversy in the buildup to bout, but all of that gets put to the side come Saturday night. Both fighters are in their physical primes. They are both 25 years old and veterans of the fight game already.

With all that in the mind, the B/R Combat Sports staff have provided their predictions on Haney-Garcia.

Got your own thoughts on the fight? Sound off in the comments section of the app.

I appreciate good promotion and social media savvy as much as the next guy.

And let’s face it, Ryan Garcia is in a second significant pay-per-view fight far more because of those things than anything he’s done across a career that began when he was 17 and has included wins over none of The Ring‘s top 10 contenders at 135 or 140 pounds.

He’s an athletic kid with a lot of pop in his left hand, but the performances have been less impressive as he’s climbed the ladder, particularly in a seventh-round KO loss to Gervonta Davis in the first PPV last spring.

The bad news for Garcia and his hype-makers? Haney’s a better fighter than Davis.

And you can make the case that Garcia’s behavior as the fight has approached indicates he knows the spot he’s in. He’s been belligerent toward his advisors, erratic in his posts and combative at joint media events with Haney.

None of these are good optics. In fact, as the kids say, they’re downright cringey.

Then again, maybe he’s smarter than all of us. Maybe this is a 21st-century hustle and it’ll be Haney who soon realizes he’s in over his head when the first bell rings.

But it doesn’t seem likely, given the champ’s channeling of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Instead, it’s more logical to suggest it will be as easy a fight as Haney wants it to be. He can be safety first and potshot his less-fundamental foe into oblivion like Mayweather’s “Money” character, or move forward and break him down like the “Pretty Boy” incarnation.

Either way, it’ll be a difficult reascension for “KingRy.”

Prediction: Haney by TKO in the 10th Round

– Lyle Fitzsimmons

Where to even start?

On one hand, we’ve got Garcia (24-1, 1 KO), bouncing back from a tough loss to Tank Davis with a solid KO against Oscar Duarte (though, Duarte was brought up from 135 and Garcia couldn’t even make 140).

On the flip side, we’ve got Haney (31-0, 15 KOs), who finally seemed to find his groove at 140, taking down Regis Prograis for the WBC super lightweight title.

Now, this bout would have been a whole lot juicier if Garcia had first squared off against Rolly Romero for the WBA super lightweight title (setting the stage for a unification showdown with Haney), but we can’t rewrite history.

This whole buildup has been a train wreck. Golden Boy Promotions is getting the blame for hosting this showdown between two West Coast boxers in New York, slacking on the undercard (hence the eleventh-hour announcement), and fumbling the ball on Garcia’s management. Meanwhile, Haney’s been keeping it professional, honing his skills and prepping for the biggest match of his career.

But here’s the kicker: Despite all the chaos, I’m going with Garcia. Why?

Because stranger things have happened, right? What if all of Garcia’s antics are just a massive troll job? Sure, I highly doubt it, but with him sitting at +550 on DraftKings, why not?

My prediction has nothing to do with boxing expertise—it’s just as ridiculous as the circus leading up to this bout. But if I had to drop some boxing knowledge, I’d say Garcia’s gonna weather Haney’s jabs to land a haymaker and send him snoozing in the ninth.

Prediction: Garcia by KO in Round 9

– Douglas A. Brown

This should be stated from the top: This is a marquee fight featuring two of the top young boxers in the sport, and it’s a credit to both men for signing on to meet in the ring.

Boxing needs more fights like this, and hopefully this encourages other big names to put egos aside in the future.

With that all said, Haney is a heavy favorite for a reason.

Technically savvy, defensively proficient and blessed with ring intelligence, his skills far surpass Garcia’s. Like Floyd Mayweather, the champion’s style isn’t going to satisfy the bloodthirsty looking for sexy knockouts. But if you’re looking for wins, Haney is your guy.

This doesn’t mean Garcia isn’t dangerous. After all, one punch can turn any fight and “King Ry” definitely has the arsenal to catch Haney if he isn’t careful.

However, the smart money here says Haney keeps Garcia at arm’s length and cruises to victory.

Prediction: Haney by Unanimous Decision

– Lucky Ngamwajasat