Garcia’s Left Hook Still Reverberates As Haney’s Chin Faces New Scrutiny Against Ramirez

Ryan Garcia is still reveling in his destruction of Devin Haney last April, enjoying the afterglow of his left hook display against the slick fighter. Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) calls it “one of the best fights” he’s had with his three-knockdown, 12-round majority decision victory at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

In the seventh round, Ryan dropped Haney with a hard left. Two additional times, Devin hit the canvas moments after taking big shots from Garcia. The referee, Harvey Dock, didn’t count those as knockdowns, but it looked like they should have been. Harvey penalized Kingry in the same round for hitting on the break.

Ryan was upset because he was never given a warning before the point deduction. He was unhappy about that and the nonstop holding Devin was doing to try to survive after the knockdown. The referee failed to address Haney’s clinching.

Garcia and Haney will be sharing the card this Friday, May 2nd, on DAZN PPV at Times Square. Ryan is fighting Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in the headliner, while Devin (31-0, 15 KOs) is in the chief support role going against Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs). If Ryan and Haney are victorious, they’ll meet in a rematch in October.

There are many question marks about whether Haney’s chin will hold up under the hard shots from the former WBC and WBO 140-lb champion Ramirez, given his punching power. He’s put on size for this fight and has been focusing on his power game to take advantage of Devin’s potentially diminished punch resistance.

Left Hook Legacy

“It was one of the funnest fights I’ve had. It was entertaining all the way through. Yeah, that was a beautiful display of how to line a left hook on a slick fighter,” said Ryan Garcia to Ring Magazine, discussing his last fight against Devin Haney last April.

“I got a point taken away [by referee Harvey Dock in the seventh round against Haney]. It was super unfair. He gave me no warning. Devin Haney was holding me nonstop. He never called him for holding during that moment. He didn’t even really say ‘break.’ We were in the clinch, and I just smacked him as he was stepping back. I guess he said, ‘Break,’ but I didn’t hear him. All of a sudden, a point taken away, which is bull s***,” said Garcia.

Haney is still bitter about the loss, talking nonstop about how Ryan “Cheated” due to his two positive tests for Ostarine. Fans on social media overwhelmingly have tuned out Haney, viewing him as a sore loser who can’t admit that he was overmatched by Kingry’s left hook punching power.