Devin Haney Makes Weight, Ryan Garcia (143.2) Well Over Limit; Fight Moves Forward Without WBC Title At Stake
Ryan Garcia will be significantly lighter everywhere except where it mattered the most.
Devin Haney is no longer at risk to lose his WBC junior welterweight title to his longtime rival, who badly missed weight at Friday’s official weigh-in. Haney stripped down to come in at right at the 140-pound mark, under the supervision of the New York State Athletic Commission. Garcia checked in at a career-heaviest 143.2 pounds, too far over the limit to even attempt to shed the extra weight.
Golden Boy Promotions representatives confirmed to The Ring that a deal was struck for the fight to move forward. Haney and Garcia meet in what is now a non-title fight this Saturday from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The bout headlines a show that will air live on DAZN Pay-Per-View and PPV.com, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.
It’s the latest development in a series of bizarre events and unprofessional behavior exhibited by Garcia. This very issue was raised by Haney (31-0, 15 knockouts) throughout the promotion, including Thursday’s final press conference. A verbal agreement was reached during the session where Garcia would have to pay $500,000 per every pound over the limit.
Both sides confirmed that Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) would honor that pact.
“Ryan has weighed-in over his contractual weight,” Golden Boy said in a statement. “He will honor the handshake made at the final press conference yesterday.
“We have a fight.”
Haney will retain his WBC title as he officially made weight. His team was forced to make several concessions to make this fight happen, up to and including Friday’s weigh-in outcome.
For once, something favorable will come back his way.
“Ryan honored the 500k per pound,” confirmed Haney, No. 1 at 140 and No. 7 pound-for-pound.
Haney previously held The Ring lightweight championship and was also the division’s undisputed champion. The 25-year-old from Las Vegas by way of California’s Bay Area won the WBC 140-title in a twelve-round shutout of Regis Prograis last December 9 in San Francisco.
Below are the weights for the rest of the show.
DAZN PPV/PPV.com undercard, 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT
10 rounds, Junior Welterweight
Arnold Barboza (29-0, 11 KOs), No. 8 at 140, Long Beach, California, 139.4 pounds
Sean McComb (18-1, 5 KOs), Belfast, Northern Ireland, 139.4 pounds
10 rounds, Super Middleweight
Bektemir ‘Bek The Bully’ Melikuziev (13-1, 10 KOs), Shoimbek, Uzbekistan, 167.8 pounds
Pierre Dibombe (22-0-1, 12 KOs), Nantes, France, 167.6 pounds
12 rounds, for ‘interim’ WBA Junior Bantamweight Title
John ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez (12-0, 9 KOs), No. 10 at 115, Los Angeles, 114.2 pounds
David Jimenez (15-1, 11 KOs), Cartago, Costa Rica, 114.8 pounds
10 rounds, Junior Middleweight
Charles Conwell (18-0, 13 KOs), No. 9 at 154, Cleveland, Ohio, 153 pounds
Nathaniel Gallimore (22-7-1, 17 KOs), Des Plaines, Illinois, 153 pounds
Preliminary non-televised undercard
10 rounds, Super Middleweight
Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-5, 10 KOs), Brooklyn, 167.4 pounds
Vaughn Alexander (18-10-1, 11 KOs), Saint Louis, Missouri, 167.4 pounds
10 rounds, Super Middleweight
Darius Fulghum (10-0, 9 KOs), Houston, Texas, 167.4 pounds
Cristian Olivas (22-10, 19 KOs), Mexicali, 167.4 pounds
4 rounds, Junior Welterweight
Jonathan Canas (3-0, 2 KOs), Santa Ana, California, 137.6 pounds
Markus Bowes (2-5, 2 KOs), Roxboro, North Carolina, 140 pounds
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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