Joe Rogan Drags Harvey Dock Through the Mud Over “Real Bad” Refereeing in Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney Fight

In an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan and Max Holloway unpacked some eyebrow-raising moments from the Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney fight. Was it a fair fight? Not quite, they argued, spotlighting referee Harvey Dock’s questionable calls. Specifically, Rogan pointed out two critical knockdowns that Dock seemingly missed.

This isn’t just about a missed call or two—such mistakes can change careers. And they’re not alone in their criticism. Stephen A. Smith and Patrick Bet-David also took to social media to voice their frustrations with the officiating. Was it really that bad?

Was Ryan Garcia robbed?

During their podcast conversation, Joe Rogan and Max Holloway dove into the specifics of what they considered “real bad” refereeing. Rogan highlighted a pivotal moment, saying, “There was some bad refereeing in that fight too, because there were 2 knockdowns.” Max Holloway, equally astonished, responded, “Yeah two drops and it didn’t count. That was crazy.” Rogan continued to underscore the severity, noting, “Real bad, those were two legitimate knockdowns. In a round he knocked him down once. So he knocked him down three times in that round.”

Holloway, puzzled by the refereeing standards, then posed an intriguing question, “Wouldn’t that like been a TKO already.” Rogan admitted uncertainty about the specific rules in play, “I don’t know if they had a 3 knockdown rule.” This part of their discussion sheds light on a broader issue within boxing: the consistency and clarity of enforcing rules.

Even Demetrious Johnson from the MMA world commented on Harvey’s performance.

Was Devin Haney given extra rest?

Mixed martial arts icon Demetrious Johnson has joined the vocal critics of referee Harvey Dock’s handling of the Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney fight. Expressing his frustration on Instagram, Johnson pinpointed the referee’s decisions as a significant hindrance to Garcia’s performance at Barclays Center.

“It’s like, ‘time, you stop holding and you stop holding, fight!’ It’s like, dude, you just gave him like 15-20 seconds of a rest. You stopped Ryan’s momentum to finish him,” Johnson lamented. This critique echoes sentiments from fans and Garcia himself, who argued that the referee’s interference in the seventh round cost him a potential knockout victory. Even Patrick Bet David called out the referee on his twitter and said, “This referee must have his money on Haney.”

So, was Harvey Dock the real loser in the Garcia vs. Haney fight? Joe Rogan, Max Holloway, and now even former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson have all piled on the criticism. What do you think could be done to improve refereeing standards? Share your thoughts and join the discussion.