Boxing expert Sergio Martin gives Ryan Garcia a decent shot at pulling off the upset against WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney in two days from now on Saturday, April 20th.
(Photo credit: Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
Mora feels that Ryan’s hand speed, power, and height make him dangerous for Haney (31-0, 15 KOs), who has been hurt by Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz, Jorge Linares, and Vasily Lomachenko.
Sergio feels that Ryan has got to past Haney’s jab, get in close, and pound him with his right hook. Mora doesn’t mention Ryan’s left hook, his bread-and-butter punch.
However, Haney may have figured out how to neutralize that weapon from weeks of preparation and studying Ryan’s loss to Gervonta Davis.
Haney’s Track Record vs. Garcia’s Power
“Haney has been fighting champion after champion in his last seven fights,” said Sergio Mora to Fighthype about Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. “Ryan Garcia, we saw him get stopped by Tank Davis. Other than that, he fought Javier Fortuna.
“He [Ryan] has the power, the speed and he has the height advantage. So, these are advantages that are going to be legit. If he can break the range of Haney’s jab, look for Ryan Garcia to put a lot of pressure early.”
Haney has a big advantage in terms of experience against better opposition. He’s fought champions and ex-champs in his last seven fights, and that’s helped him improve his game to where he will be difficult for Ryan to beat.
Breaking the Jab, Finding the Punch
“I think Devin Haney has one of the best jabs in boxing. His ring control, his range is very tough to get past. I don’t see how Garcia can outbox him. I think he has the speed and power to do it,” said Mora.
“I think Garcia takes a better punch than Haney. Linares had him rocked and JoJo had him shook a couple of times. Ryan got hurt by Tank Davis, who is one of the biggest punchers in boxing. We’re going to see who takes a better punch, and we’re going to tell a lot once that punch lands.”
Getting to Haney won’t be easy because he retreats when attacked, and he’ll be looking to hold whenever Ryan gets in punching range. It’s going to be difficult for Ryan to get many punches off before Haney clinches.
“Ryan Garcia has to alternate his jabs. He can’t go jab for jab with Devin Haney because he has a better technique with the jab,” said Mora. With the speed, it’s going to be Garcia. If he can shorten up the jab, close the distance, and bang away with a right hook to the body and a right hook upstairs.
“He has a mean right hook. The body is the key [for Ryan],” said Mora.
