Talented Devin Haney big favorite to defeat social media star Ryan Garcia

Is the Devin Haney – Ryan Garcia fight this Saturday from the Bronx going to be competitive?

The oddsmakers don’t think so.

Some have Haney as much as a 7-1 favorite. Others, 5-1.

Garcia finds this laughable. He insists that he’s the more talented fighter.

“It’s going to be light work for me. I am going to cook Devin Haney,” Garcia said during media day last week. “Just another day in the office. Devin is not on my level and he will never be on my level.”

Ok, but what else would Garcia say?

If he spoke the truth, something more and more difficult to find these days, he’d say, “Haney is on a different level than me – so I have to find a way to raise my game to win.”

Garcia should also lose his nickname, King Ry.

It’s annoying and doesn’t apply to anything Garcia has achieved in the ring.

Let’s be fair. Garcia can fight..a little.

The problem is Haney can fight a lot.

Garcia has lost once in 25 fights. He’s knocked out 20 opponents. He got up off the floor to stop Luke Campbell in 2021. His loss came at the hands of Gervonta Davis last year. Garcia did well in the opening round, only to find himself on the canvas a few minutes later. He was down again in round seven, his desire to rise debatable.

At the post-fight press conference, Garcia was alone. Neither trainer Joe Goossen nor promoters Oscar de La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins showed up. Both made silly excuses afterward. Garcia received support from Davis and his team.

It’s obvious De La Hoya and Hopkins don’t have much respect for Garcia, the fighter.

To them, his color is green.

Haney is a different shade altogether. He paid his dues by fighting in bars in Mexico, at 18. His rise has been calculated.

Unlike Garcia, his dedication has been unquestioned. He lives the boxing life. Garcia?

“Ryan is showing he is a kid,” said Haney. “I mean, look at his antics. Look at what he is doing. He is all over the place with it.”

Haney is unbeaten in 31 fights. His record shows victories over Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz, and George Kambosos twice, a squeaker over Vasyl Lomachenko, and dominance over Regis Prograis.

Haney traveled to Australia to win lightweight titles from Kambosos in 2022. He repeated the feat by a wider margin four months later.

Lomachenko pushed him hard, but Haney prevailed. Prograis had lost once when they met last year. Make that twice. Haney knocked him down and won every round. The way Prograis lost may have shocked him into retirement.

Haney’s confidence is warranted.

“I want to win by a landslide and show that I am levels above him, and that’s what I will do,” said Haney during a media workout in Los Angeles. “My everything will surprise Ryan. Ryan doesn’t know how good I really am. We’ve been really studying him and know a lot of the mistakes that he does and I look forward to exploiting those.”

Garcia has a wicked left hook. Haney has more tools but less power. Garcia’s out-of-the-ring exploits have raised eyebrows.

Former welterweight champion Shawn Porter believes that Garcia might be pulling a con. Garcia does know Haney well, or he should after splitting six fights in the amateurs.

That was then – this is now.