Is Devin Haney fighting a stronger and hydrated version of Ryan Garcia, unlike Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis? Some fans would argue that Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) will be stronger and fighting at a higher level against WBC light welterweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) in their fight on April 20th due to his not having to deal with a catchweight and rehydration clause.
Fighting at His Natural Weight
There won’t be a catchweight or rehydration clause for the Haney vs. Garcia fight on April 20th on DAZN, which can only help Ryan, giving him more strength than he had in his mega-fight with Tank Davis last April.
With Ryan fighting at his optimal weight for the Haney fight, he’ll be a much different fighter than the listless, rib-injured version that we saw fold under Tank’s power.
The performance that we’ll see from Ryan should be far different than the one he exhibited in his loss to Tank, considering he’s not going to be half-drained from the combination of the catchweight and late afternoon rehydration process he had to go through for that fight.
The ‘Tank’ Factor: Shaken Confidence?
On the other hand, is the 25-year-old Ryan’s self-confidence the same as it was after he was stopped by Gervonta Davis a year ago? Is Ryan psychologically damaged from the loss to Tank?
We know that in war, some soldiers suffer from battle fatigue after a fierce, prolonged skirmish, and they don’t have the same willingness to stay on the frontlines and risk as they’d done initially. Could that be Ryan’s fate heading into his match against Haney?
Some fans would argue that Ryan no longer has the same self-belief after his sixth-round stoppage defeat against Tank. As a result, Haney is getting a weaker, more vulnerable version of Ryan.
It’s impossible to dismiss what happened to Garcia in his seventh-round TKO loss to Tank Davis a year ago. He quit in that fight, submitting mentally and unwilling to go out on his shield like a soldier. Some see Quitting as a form of cowardice; as the saying goes, ‘If you quit once, you’ll do it again.’
Does Ryan still possess the unshakeable confidence he once had, or is he mentally a basket case no longer fit for battle?
