“That Is a Hurtful Thing to See”: Devin Haney’s This Mistake Against Ryan Garcia Still Bothers Roy Jones Jr.

Now that the big battle is over, a contemplative mood seems to have engulfed the boxing world. After all, very rarely does the noise of a forlorn underdog echo so loudly. Right up to fight day, Ryan Garcia‘s bizarre online behavior and live stunts continued. But on Saturday night, just when everyone thought it would be an easy walkover for Devin Haney, Garcia usurped one of the greatest upsets of modern boxing. Legend Roy Jones Jr. believes there has always been more to Garcia’s conduct than meets the eye. Something that, unfortunately, Devin Haney glaringly missed.

In a tête-à-tête with former world champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, the boxing great who still refuses to bow down as a professional boxer shared his thoughts on one of the biggest fights of recent times. Needless to say, Garcia’s social media actions had caused quite a pandemonium. It was something the sport had never witnessed before. There were calls for the fight’s cancellation. Pulling ‘KingRy’ out of the fight on account of mental fitness abounded. But to what end? If it could be said so, in the climax, the antagonist took away the crown (literally, there’s one for Garcia) from the protagonist! So what happened?

Roy Jones Jr. Knew Beforehand

It seems San Juan, Puerto Rico, has become the new base for Shane Mosley. So he was speaking with one of the most famous names in Pensacola, Florida. After the initial chit-chats, Mosley asked Jones Jr. for his views on the Garcia-Haney fight. “So I wanted to ask you about you know the fight, and obviously you know with Ryan Garcia and, um, Devin Haney, what was your what was your thoughts on that?” asked the three-division champion.

Roy Jones Jr. explained that consistent with his earlier-held views when it came to Ryan Garcia, he foresaw two possibilities. The first being that he is one of the sharpest minds one would come across. But a parallel thought contradicted it. Garcia was in dire need of mental health counseling given the kind of interactions that spawned from his social media accounts. However, somehow he always felt that it was a clever ploy set by the young boxer. But he never completely bought the ruse.

Unfortunately, as it appears, Devin Haney, whom he used to train, took the bait. Roy Jones Jr. added, “I saw the interview. I saw Devin on there with a suit on and saying, like uh, he was like, I don’t know if this guy’s taking the fight for real or not. That bothered me. I told my people right there. I said that is a hurtful thing to see because Ryan is getting to him. You know, Ryan really makes him think that he’s not for real.”

But deep inside, Jones Jr. knew that Garcia was a danger lurking in the shadows. Both ‘KingRy’ and ‘The Dream’ share a history of amateur fights. Hence, the former four-division champion felt that perhaps Devin Haney knew the kind of problem Ryan Garcia posed. Then he spoke about ‘KingRy’s now famous lethal left hook.

Song Before the Storm

Even Gervonta Davis (now Abdul Wahid), despite his fearsome reputation as the lightweight division’s deadliest puncher, kept the opponent from the West Coast at bay. Hence, the way Devin Haney engaged Ryan Garcia right from the beginning of their fight kind of threw Jones Jr. off balance. According to the boxing great, there’s a method to dealing with a boxer like Ryan Garcia.

It was perhaps the pre-fight GQ Sports face-to-face (though not literally) conversation between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney that Roy Jones Jr. was referring to. In light of the heightened tension between the two sides, for safety’s sake, GQ Sports brought both boxers into the studio, though not together, up close. Displaying a casual demeanor, Garcia sang his song, which many now consider a cult classic.

However, Devin Haney, on the other hand, appeared in a somber mood. He reflected, “I don’t know if Ryan Garcia is taking the fight seriously or not. You know, that’s not for me to really pay too much attention to.”

Perhaps, as Roy Jones Jr. pointed out, it was too late. The damage was done. Ryan Garcia’s deception had already infiltrated, flagging Devin Haney’s ability to fight back.

Do you agree with Roy Jones Jr.’s assessment? If so, then please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.