Weekend snoozefest – Garcia, Haney, and Canelo induce sleep, Lopez retains title

“The fans want to see good fights. Let’s go.”

Oscar De La Hoya

De La Hoya’s fighter, Ryan Garcia, didn’t deliver anything close to a good fight last Friday.

Garcia was floored in round two and lost a decision to 7-to-1 underdog Rolly Romero. The scores were 115-112 twice and 118-109. It wasn’t even that close.

The venue, Times Square, was showy, but felt off- the Garcia and Haney fights could have put a pot of coffee to sleep.

Garcia’s performance was perplexing. The kid can punch. Romero’s been stopped twice in 16 fights, but Garcia, especially after getting floored, didn’t look anxious to engage. Four years ago, Garcia was dropped hard by Luke Campbell. He got up, looked at Campbell, and went after him.

This time? Nothing. He kept his distance and jabbed. Even after a pep talk from trainer Derrick James, Garcia could only go through the motions.

Where was the passion?

Former world champion Tim Bradley summed up Garcia’s performance this way.

“Ryan Garcia don’t want to be a fighter,” said Bradley on Facebook a few days ago. “All Ryan Garcia wants is the money. That’s it! Ryan didn’t even want the Devin fight either. What he did last (Friday) night, not even stepping on the gas and attempting to throw one combination, the whole night, bro? Are you kidding me?

“He didn’t want the Devin fight. He didn’t wanna’ revisit that,” Bradley added.

Garcia was fighting for the first time since being suspended a year after testing positive for ostarine, a banned substance.

Many boxing fans remarked that a “clean” Garcia is a tame one, but what about the Campbell fight?

“A whole year took a lot of my body physically and mentally,” Garcia said.

He needs to do some genuine soul-searching if he’s willing to be honest with himself.

His former dance partner, Haney, also didn’t sparkle in a return to the ring. His movement was excellent, but his aggressiveness was lacking.

“Show up, not just dancing around like Haney,” De La Hoya said.”He was tagged a couple of times by Ramirez, and he gets on his bicycle and runs for his life.”

“Devin,” said Bradley. “I felt like he didn’t want it either.”

Former champion Ramirez tried to a degree but appeared to give up and coast. He couldn’t catch Haney, and the speedy one from the Bay Area didn’t want to trade.

Haney won the fight but lost the PR war.

Conor Benn, who engaged in a slugfest with Chris Eubank Jr. a few weeks ago, tweeted, “The judges won’t have a scorecard because they’re all asleep.”

Hall of Fame commentator Jim Lampley said, “If ever there was a fight capable of inducing a nap in Times Square, it would be this one.”

Teofimo Lopez fought as well, winning a 12-rounder over Arnold Barboza. He improved as the fight went on.

And then there’s Canelo, who fought a Cuban track star named William Scull. Canelo chased in a way, and Scull stayed away as if Canelo smelled.

The entire weekend did for sure.