Ryan Garcia has taken the boxing world by storm. And seems like he is attracting attention from other sporting stars as well now. While most fans tuned in to watch his highly anticipated bout with Devin Haney, many couldn’t hold the excitement and reached the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to witness it firsthand. One of them was NBA icon Allen Iverson. Taking some time out of his hectic schedule, the legend was spotted among the crowd. Garcia’s insane trio knockdown on his opponent was quite surprising, even to the veterans.
In a recent clip, Iverson was asked about his opinion on the fight by a reporter. However, the 11x NBA All-Star, who was seemingly busy talking to professional boxer Antonio Tarver, ignored the question. While Iverson evaded the question, Tarver said, “Ryan did his thing tonight man you feel me. I just thought Han didn’t really give no resistance, no defense, he wasn’t counterpunching. I thought his footing was bad all night. I just thought Haney would have performed a lot better but Ryan learned something tonight.”
After a quick chat, the two also posed for a photo. The Philadelphia 76ers legend also posed alongside fans for a photo.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
View this post on Instagram
Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya was reported to have placed about $20,000 bet on Haney to win against Garcia. But why was the result so unexpected?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ryan Garcia’s response to his critics
After Garcia’s bizarre behavior ahead of the game, he received a lot of backlash, leading to many even questioning his mental health status. Some even thought Garcia would give up. So the shock among fans is understandable. After his fashionable win, the 25-year-old even had a word for his critics.
He landed three knockdowns on Haney on his way to win with a majority decision. While the first two judges scored it 115-109 and 114-110 by wider margins, the third judge called it a draw 112-112. Garcia’s left hooks were highly effective throughout the bout landing knockdowns in the 10th and 11th rounds, with him coming close to ending the fight in the 11th. After his historic win against his longtime rival, Garcia ensured to clap back at the critics.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
During the post-fight interview, Garcia said, “Come on, guys, you really thought I was crazy?! You lost your whole mind!” “My left hook is my left hook. That’s blessed by God… You guys overegg everything. You guys hate on me because I’m pretty and s*t. That’s f*ed up… I put my f**ing reputation on the line,” Garcia said. Well, he has shut them up now.