Reporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was met
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RINGSIDE
FORTY seconds. That’s all it took for Ryan Garcia to remind millions of doubters that his vaunted left hook could compensate for an admittedly turbulent training camp and so much disturbing behaviour that many wondered whether he was mentally fit to fight Devin Haney. Garcia wobbled the heavily favoured Haney with 2-20 to go in the opening round, which sent an already raucous crowd into a frenzy at a packed Barclays Center.
The seemingly unhinged underdog hurt Haney so badly that it appeared Garcia could have produced an unfathomable first-round knockout.
“He got wobbled bad,” Garcia recalled, having dropped Haney three times and upset him by majority decision. “I’m surprised he has such good heart and, like, recovery. Bro, I cracked him in that first round. I thought it was over. I’m like, ‘I won. Easy work.’ And then he came out firing in the second. He even hurt me with a hook. And I was like: ‘Damn, maybe he do got a little power.’”
Garcia’s resilient rival recovered, established his rhythm and
