Perfecting Floyd Mayweather’s Shoulder Roll Will Be Useless if Ryan Garcia Doesn’t Make This Change Before Facing Devin Haney

Is it a blockbuster or a massive mismatch? Whatever way you look at it, the super fight of Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia has all the flavor the fans need. A long rivalry? Ticked. A challenger to whom few are giving a chance? Checked. The fight brewing ever since the two turned pro finally will reach its conclusion this April 20, and it’s ‘KingRy’ who has his work cut out in ‘The Dream’.

Garcia and Haney, both hailing from California, have exchanged punches since childhood, well into their amateur careers, and now they are finally ready to put their rivalry to an end. It’s 3-3 currently, and the odds are stacked heavily against the challenger. Why? It’s the gulf of technical skills that Garcia doesn’t seem to bridge before their showdown for the WBC super lightweight strap.

Ryan Garcia: Almost there but never there

What separates the 25-year-old boxer from the rest? Undoubtedly, it’s his lethal left hook and his hand speed. But what about the solid jabs, combinations, fighting in close and even close quarters, working at long distances, and setting up traps? You might have to look somewhere else.

Ryan Garcia packs power behind those punches but is still a work in progress. He is not the finished product who can take on a skilled opponent like Devin Haney. While the 24-1 record holder has exhibited his eagerness to add more weapons to his arsenal, he is running out of time. He employed a Floyd Mayweather-esque shoulder roll in his last fight against Oscar Duarte, and that was far from a perfected weapon. So where does it leave him for the Haney fight?

You can pick out many flaws in Garcia’s boxing prowess. He doesn’t also match up with the more athletic Haney. But he is a keen learner and is trying to mold himself under Derrick James. Both have spent enough time hitting the mitts and pulling holes in Garcia’s game. He is adding depth to his boxing game. And when you consider Haney’s flows and Garcia’s flagship power punches, you can make sense of how Garcia has scored three wins against the WBC champion.

Devin Haney: a champion with skilled hands

Devin Haney is a purist boxing fan’s delight. He stays on his back foot, pulls a jab, keeps his distance, slowly chipping away at his opponent, and then pulls back. He is a technically gifted boxer and was, for a reason, the undisputed champion at 135 before he climbed up a division.

When you look at his resume, it speaks volumes about his zeal to take on bigger opponents. George Kambosos Jr., Vasiliy Lomachenko, and even Regis Prograis were also top guns at 140 pounds before Haney snatched the title from him. Compared to these names, Garcia doesn’t evoke fear. He will outmaneuver Garcia. But that’s not what it’s about. If Haney takes away Garcia’s power and can negate the latter’s thunderous left hook, there is nothing left for the challenger to do.

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But Haney is not without shortcomings. He has a weak inside game. He lacks power and has a soft chin. The top fighters have exposed him, and if he can’t punch, he can’t put Garcia down. While Haney’s skillset is Garcia’s biggest problem, his soft chin might be his biggest undoing. But that’s all paper talk. Where will the fight be won?

What does Ryan Garcia need to do before the Devin Haney fight?

Is Ryan Garcia the better high-ring IQ boxer? Nope. Will Haney see his left hook coming? Perhaps. But can Garcia punch his way to the victory? That’s a possibility you can’t discard. And in Garcia’s case, it’s more than a puncher’s chance.

Garcia has to bring more elements to the table when he faces his childhood foe. The signs are there that Garcia is doing the same. But whether he can do it before the Haney fight would be a deciding factor. He needs to mix things up, hide his left hook, and unload at the right moment.

While you might expect Garcia to go for the kill, that might not work in his favor. If Haney survives the first few rounds and adjusts to his speed, he will be up for picking. He needs to feel the fight first, slowly pick apart Haney, and then pull his deadly left hook to slay the champion. It will all boil down to how well he adapts to Haney’s jab. If Ryan cannot get past Haney’s jab, it will be a long night for him. But if he gets past the jab, it will get really interesting, really fast.

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What do you make of this coming fight between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney? Who do you think will edge out the other in a clash of skills? Let us know in the comments below.