Super lightweight phenom Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) has set his sights on Devin Haney’s (31-0, 15 KOs) WBC super lightweight title. As the fight date approaches, one fight remains fresh in the hearts of boxing aficionados: Garcia’s showdown against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (29-0, 27 KOs). While Garcia suffered a major upset, he believes that there were underlying reasons that contributed to his loss.
Garcia was a guest on the latest episode of The Full Send podcast hosted by Kyle Forgeard and the NELK boys.
Many members of the boxing community felt that Davis’ rehydration clause was problematic from the get-go. In conversation, Garcia was asked why he agreed to go forward with the fight despite the clause. “I did everything I could to try to propel boxing forward. For that sh*t was boring as f*ck, and nobody was fighting each other, so I took every clause you could think of,” he said.
However, it looks like the rehydration clause was the only factor that affected Garcia’s performance. In fact, he mentioned that he was suffering from multiple health complications prior to fight night. “I stepped into the ring with a separated rib, and this is not an excuse, but I was severely dehydrated, so anything I got touched with affected me in the ring when I was sparring. I had blisters all over my mouth, I had heat flashes at night, I was severely shaking at night,” he said.
Garcia faced Davis at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, on April 22, 2023. Despite showcasing an impressive performance, he was downed by a brutal body shot in the seventh round.
“Not going to stop me”
On the other hand, Haney issued a strict warning to his upcoming opponent. He called out Garcia’s antics on social media and mentioned that he would be ready for him regardless.
Haney accused Garcia of being an “alcoholic” and mentioned that he talks about things that he barely has any knowledge of. He further stated that Garcia might even be unprepared for the carnage he is about to face.
“Whatever Ryan is going to do. If he’s taking or not faking, that’s not going to change what I’m going to do to him regardless,” he said. “He’s going to go in and do his game plan, whatever it is, regardless. He can do all the acting he wants, but that’s not going to stop me from preparing and being the best that I can be.”
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