On April 21 in New York, USA, Ryan Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) defeated the WBC super lightweight champion (up to 140 lbs) Devin Haney (31-1, 15 KOs). Despite the loss, Devin remains the WBC champion, as Ryan did not make the weight limit and did not qualify for the title.
Devin's father and trainer, Bill Haney, shared his emotions from the fight and considers Ryan's higher weight to be deceptive.
"Everything was calculated. It's deception. For Devin, this is a victory over himself. We went against everything that's wrong in boxing. Devin followed the rules. He was knocked down. Again and again, he stood up and fought like the champion he still is. He proved he is a warrior, and now life goes on.
Failing to make weight is a bad move when you're trying to be a professional.
But in this sport, nobody cries, so we will continue our journey to be on boxing's Mount Rushmore," said Bill.
Previously, American boxer Regis Prograis recalled how Haney employed similar tactics in their fight. According to the California Commission, Devin Haney weighed 74.8 kg on the night of the fight against Prograis. The day before at the weigh-in, he showed a weight of 63.5 kg, meaning the boxer gained 11.3 kg in a day.