"I don’t think it was all an act" - Teddy Atlas explains how Ryan Garcia's "craziness" may have given him edge over Devin Haney
Teddy Atlas recently expressed his thoughts on Ryan Garcia's majority decision win over Devin Haney. The two squared off in a highly anticipated grudge match on April 20. They fought for the WBC super lightweight title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Garcia was subjected to public scrutiny before his surprise victory. Many questioned his focus and unusual conduct on social media, as well as questions about his training regimen because he missed weight.
'KingRy' proved critics wrong with his tremendous power and speed. He struck Haney with a left hook early in the opening round, establishing the tone for the bout. Garcia regained control in the seventh round, despite Haney's dominance in the middle.
Haney was stunned after receiving a straight left and three knockdowns. Garcia kept up his impressive performance, dropping Haney twice more in the 10th and 11th rounds before taunting the champion in the final round.
The fight lasted 36 minutes and ended with the three judges scoring the contest 112-112, 114-110, and 115-109 in favor of the California native.
Check out Ryan Garcia getting his hand raised below:
American boxing coach Atlas recently took to X and explained Garcia's impressive victory over Haney. He explained that Garcia's "craziness" and missing weight may have caused Haney to underestimate him, as he was occasionally caught by Garcia's jabs. Atlas wrote:
''No, I don’t think it was all an act, but I do think in a way Ryan needed the craziness to get to the ring—and once there—he was bigger, faster, and stronger. Crazy thing in crazy night is Garcia only fought in certain rds. and spots. And that actually served him. It made Haney get false sense security & caught by surprise at times. Haney’s approach not what it usually is. Walked in, no jab, looking for big shots. That’s not him, not his style. To steal term from Floyd, they thought it would be easy money. #GarciaHaney #HaneyGarcia #boxing''
Ryan Garcia claims he was drinking every day throughout training camp for the Devin Haney clash
Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney were supposed to fight for the WBC super lightweight title on April 20. However, due to Garcia's weight miss, he was ineligible to win the WBC title.
During pre-fight press events, he admitted to using alcohol and cannabis, raising questions about his sincerity.
After his majority decision victory over 'The Dream', 'KingRy' spoke with the media about his preparations leading up to the bout and said:
''I walked through the fire, and still held it down. And still beat Devin Haney. And still drank every day. And still beat him. I did everything. What the f**k? False reality right? Drank every single night, went out on the first Monday and Tuesday and drank''
Check out Ryan Garcia's comments below (1:54):