Tim Bradley says Devin Haney would have beaten Ryan Garcia if he had held his right hand during their April 20 fight. Bradley notes that Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) held his hand and fought back with emotion.
Tim thought Haney should have boxed Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs), especially after he was dropped in the seventh. He tried to slug with Garcia after that, making it easier for him to keep landing his thunderous left hook.
Garcia dropped Haney three times in the fight and won a 12-round majority decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The win permanently burst the bubble of Haney being the next Mayweather, putting his career on shaky ground.
It was known before the fight that he had a weak chin, but after being repeatedly hit by Ryan’s whip-like left hook, it’s now obvious that he can’t take a punch.
“All Devin had to do was hold the phone. He won most of the fight,” Tim Bradley said. GHBTV about Devin Haney just needing to get his defensive mechanics right for him to beat Ryan Garcia last April.
Haney’s problems that led to his removal were not entirely related to him not keeping his right hand. The real problem was from the clinching he was attempting, which put him in the shot of Ryan’s short left hook. He was catching Haney with that fist as he was trying to hit him.
“He’s winning most of the exchanges in the fight,” Bradley said. “He was hitting, he was moving, he looked good, but he kept dropping the right hand. Ryan is extremely talented at shooting that left hook. He shoots it out of nowhere. It’s automatic for him. Obviously, Devin Haney didn’t train for that. If he had kept that backhand up, he would have won the fight.”
Given how fast and powerful Ryan’s hook was in that fight, Haney would have had to do the impossible by preventing him from landing any punches. Haney could have followed Bradley’s advice to keep his guard up, box and stay out. It wouldn’t have worked unless he just punched and moved for 12 rounds.
I don’t think he could do that because he had gained so much weight after rehydration. He looked super average in the ring. Haney would not have been able to move continuously being as heavy as he was.
“He had it boxed up in places where he wouldn’t get caught or get shot. Devin was like, “I’m going to fight” rather than boxing. He should have boxed it. Keep your wits about you. Stay out of your emotions. He was thinking, ‘Why is this guy in front of this puncher? He needs to move. He didn’t need to pass this guy. Use his legs and put him in place,'” Bradley said.
Haney had to fight back because Ryan was coming at him so quickly, and he did an excellent job of countering his power shots.
“Ryan didn’t have to cut until the last three pounds, and I felt that was the advantage he had over Haney in the fight. He was full-on strong. He didn’t blow his body like Haney did,” he said. Bradley.
It wouldn’t have been a big deal if Haney had agreed to fight Ryan at 147 rather than 140 because he wouldn’t have had to deplete his body to come down in weight. If weight was the reason Ryan won, Haney should have agreed to fight him at welterweight. He would have been strong, making 147. and maybe he wouldn’t get lost.
