WBC Special Preview: Haney vs. Garcia

 WBC STATISTICS

WBC Super Lightweight World Championship

April 20, 2024 / Brooklyn, New York / Barclays Center

Matchroom Boxing & Golden Boy Promotions Present:

DEVIN “The Dream” HANEY (USA)

WBC Super Lightweight World Champion

Former WBC Lightweight World Champion

Age: 25 / Date of birth: November 17, 1998

Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada / Birthplace: San Francisco, California

Record: 31-0, 15 KOs / Total rounds: 210 / World championship fights: 8-0, 0 KOs

Height: 5’9″ – 175cm / Reach: 72″ – 183cm / Stance: Right-handed

Advisor-trainer: Bill Haney

“King” RYAN GARCIA (USA)

Former WBC Interim Lightweight World Champion.

Former WBC Silver Lightweight Champion.

Former NABF lightweight champion.

Age: 25 / Date of birth: August 8, 1998

Residence: Los Angeles, California / Birthplace: Los Alamitos, California

Record: 24-1, 20 KOs / Total rounds: 100 /

Height: 5’8.5” – 174cm / Reach: 70” – 178cm / Stance: Right-handed

Trainer: Derrick James

WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

1. Roberto Cruz (Phil)               1963
2. Eddie Perkins (US)               1963 – 1965
3. Carlos Hernandez (Ven)        1965 – 1966
4. Sandro Lopopolo (Ita)            1966 – 1967
5. Paul Fuji (US)                        1967 – 1968
6. Pedro Adigue (Phil)                1968 – 1970
7. Bruno Arcari (Italy)                 1970 – 1974
8. Pedro Fernández (Spain)       1974 – 1975
9. Saensak Muangsurin (Thai)   1975 – 1976
10. Miguel Velazquez (Spain)    1976
11. Saensak Muangsurin (Thai) * 1976 – 1978
12. Sang-Hyun Kim (Korea)       1978 – 1980
13. Saoul Mamby (US)              1980 – 1982
14. Leroy Haley (US)                 1982 – 1983
15. Bruce Curry (US)                 1983 – 1984
16. Bill Costello (US)                  1984 – 1985
17. Lonnie Smith (US)                1985 – 1986
18. Rene Arredondo (Mexico)    1986
19. Tsuyoshi Hamada (Japan)   1986 – 1987
20. Rene Arredondo (México) *  1987
21. Roger Mayweather (US)       1987 – 1989
22. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mex)    1989 – 1994
23. Frankie Randall (US)            1994
24. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mex) *  1994 – 1996
25. Oscar de la Hoya (US-Mex)  1996 – 1997
26. Konstantin Tszyu (Australia) 1998 – 2003
27. Arturo Gatti (Canada)           2004 – 2005
28. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (US)    2005
29. Junior Witter (GB)                2006 – 2008
30. Timothy Bradley Jr. (US)       2008 – 2009
31. Devon Alexander (US)          2009 – 2011
32. Timothy Bradley Jr. (US) *    2011
33. Erik Morales (Mexico)           2011 – 2012
34. Lucas Matthysse (Arg)Interim2012 – 2013
35. Danny Garcia (US)               2012 – 2015
36. Viktor Postol (Ukraine)          2015 – 2016
37. Terence Crawford (US)         2016 – 2018
38. Regis Prograis (US)Interim2018
39. Jose Ramirez (US)               2018 – 2021
40. Josh Taylor (GB)                  2021 – 2022
41. Regis Prograis (US)*            2022 – 2023
42. Devin Haney (US)                2023 –

* Regained

TOP 10

1. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mex)
2. Oscar de la Hoya (US/Mex)
3. Kostya Tszyu (Rus/Aust)
4. Roger Mayweather (US)
5. Timothy Bradley (US)
6. Bruno Arcari (Italy)
7. Arturo Gatti (Canada)
8. Danny Garcia (US)
9. Devon Alexander (US)
10. Saensak Muangsurin (Thai)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY

37 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, five of whom have regained the title: Saensak Muangsurin (Thailand), Rene Arredondo (Mexico), Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexico), Timothy Bradley Jr. (US), Regis Prograis (US).

130 WBC super lightweight world title bouts have been held in WBC history.

MEMORABLE WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:

Dec. 9, 2023    Devin Haney W12 Regis Prograis – San Francisco, California

June 17, 2023  Regis Prograis W12 Danielito Zorrilla – New Orleans, Louisiana

Nov. 26, 2022   Regis Prograis KO11 Jose Zepeda – Carson, California

Feb. 26, 2022   Josh Taylor W12 Jack Catterall – Glasgow, Scotland

May 22, 2021   Josh Taylor W12 Jose Ramirez – Las Vegas, Nevada

Aug. 29, 2020   Jose Ramirez W12 Viktor Postol – Las Vegas, Nevada

Sep. 14, 2018   Jose Ramirez W12 Antonio Orozco – Fresno, California

Mar. 7, 2018     Jose Ramirez W12 Amir Imam – New York, New York

Aug. 19, 2017   Terence Crawford KO3 Julius Indongo – Lincoln, Nebraska

July 23, 2016    Terence Crawford W12 Viktor Postol – Las Vegas, Nevada

Oct. 3, 2015     Viktor Postol KO10 Lucas Matthysse – Carson, California

July 14, 2012    Danny Garcia TKO4 Amir Khan – Las Vegas, Nevada

Jan. 29, 2011   Timothy Bradley Jr. TW10 Devon Alexander – Pontiac, Michigan

Mar. 6, 2010     Devon Alexander TKO8 Juan Urango – Uncasville, Connecticut

June 25, 2005  Floyd Mayweather Jr. TKO6 Arturo Gatti – Atlantic City, New Jersey

Jan. 29, 2005   Arturo Gatti KO5 James Leija – Atlantic City, New Jersey

Nov. 3, 2001    Konstantin Tszyu TKO2 Zab Judah – Las Vegas, Nevada

June 7, 1996    Oscar de la Hoya TKO4 Julio Cesar Chavez – Las Vegas, Nevada

Mar. 17, 1990   Julio Cesar Chavez TKO12 Meldrick Taylor – Las Vegas, Nevada

May 13, 1989   Julio Cesar Chavez TKO10 Roger Mayweather – Inglewood, California

Nov. 12, 1987   Roger Mayweather TKO6 Rene Arredondo – Los Angeles, California

Apr. 8, 1978     Saensak Muangsurin KO13 Francisco Moreno – Hat Yai, Thailand

Mar. 6, 1971     Bruno Arcari W15 Joao Henrique – Rome, Italy

July 22, 1987    Rene Arredondo TKO6 Tsuyoshi Hamada – Kokugican, Japan

June 15, 1963  Eddie Perkins W15 Roberto Cruz – Manila, Philippines

Social Media Decoy and Then… The Real McCoy

By James Blears

So much chatter, natter and clatter about the Devin Haney Vs Ryan Garcia bout and those irritably heated press conferences, which have garnered, generated plus stoked speculation, excitement, controversy, puzzlement and even concern.

Ryan trotting in on a white horse, yet thank goodness NOT Godiva style. Almost at a canter, prior to all that bridling banter. Devin smelling liquor on Ryan’s breath. Ryan telling him that he quaffs a beer or two and smokes the odd spliff. This… is an anathema to Devin, who dedicates himself to boxing in mind, thought and deed.

On April 20^th, two Californians will be fighting at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Devin Haney who has a perfect record of 31-0, 15 KO’s, will be defending his WBC super lightweight championship against Ryan Garcia 24-1, 20 KO’s.

Well documented that they fought six times as amateurs with each winning three. Their final contest in this fledgling sphere, was back in 2015, when they were both sweet sixteen, in the quarter finals of the USA Youth National Championships and Devin won a decision. I don’t believe that familiarity necessarily breeds contempt.

Since then the path of their destinies has followed different routes. In the words of Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both,

And be one traveler, long I stood,

And looked down as far as I could.

From what I can see, Devin has been near pitch perfect, while Ryan by his own high standards, has under achieved. Devin, nicknamed The Dream, became undisputed lightweight champion and then stepped up winning the WBC super lightweight crown. All of this achieved by twenty five. Ryan dubbed KingRy, also aged twenty five has won the WBC Interim title.

Ryan’s sole loss and it was an excruciating one, was last year at the hands of Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who dropped him with a exquisite counter left hook in the second and then in the seventh, left him gasping from a hammering left to the liver, unable to get upright from his haunches. He bounced back to KO Oscar Duarte in round eight

Some critics have labeled Ryan a quitter, which is an absurd accusation, given the precise pinpoint severity of that punch from Tank and its agonizing yet marginally delayed effect. Ryan always displays courage both in and out of the ring. It took real guts to take time out, to deal with mental issues. Many boxers have suffered similarly, but in silence. The fact Ryan spoke out, spoke up and sought help, instead of remaining stoically mute, speaks volumes about his honesty and sincerity. He dealt with it.

Devin’s only hiccup thus far was when he fought Jorge Linares, who caught and wobbled him with a right left combination just before the bell to end the tenth round. Devin returned to his corner on unsteady legs. But he pulled himself together in the sixty seconds of respite and during the remaining two rounds, he prudently evaded and displayed cute defensive tactics to avoid a repeat dose.

Devin professionally debuted in 2015. Too young to gain a license in the USA at seventeen, he cut his teeth in Mexico, fighting his first four bouts in Tijuana, before moving on to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Now almost nine years later, he has developed into a master craftsman and is at his peak. Two superb peformances to collect the title of George Kambosos Jr Down Under. He came through a technically challenging and testing fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko to win a UD. The latest starry, starry night was one to remember against Regis Prograis, taking the WBC super lightweight Belt.

Devin dropped “Rogarou” in the third with a well- placed right hand and went on to win a lop sided UD with a score of 120-107 on all three Judges’ scorecards. Yet more critics point out that Devin’s KO ratio is 48.39 percent, with fifteen stoppages. This will steepen, as he’s now fighting at his more natural weight. With his big frame, he struggled long and hard to make the lower lightweight limit. No such problems now.

Ryan professionally debuted in 2016. His KO percentage is 83.33 percent. Much of it has come via his vaunted left hook. Ryan fights at a high energy pace. That was measured, checked and negated by Gervonta. It’ll be interesting how Devin addresses it.

Ryan has proved his worth with notable victories over Luke Campbell, Emmanuel Togoe and Javier Fortuna. All was plain sailing in the ring, until the Davis debacle.

In this fight, it’s likely Ryan will try to set a fast pace and try to force Devin to fight rather than box. Devin is sure to test Ryan’s body and counterpunch. Devin has said: “If he gets reckless, he will get caught like we’ve seen him get caught before.”

Ryan who is spite of all of the supposed social media shenanigans, is dedicating himself to his training camp and he will be ready come fight night. He determines: “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That’s what’s makes you a winner.”

This fight has all the latent ingredients to be A Great, if Devin and Ryan perform to their full capabilities, tempering their irritation with each other and purely concentrate of displaying their extraordinary talents.