A blockbuster showdown at super lightweight takes place this weekend as Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) faces off against Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs). The already solidified 140-pound division sees two of its stars clash for bragging rights. Previously meeting at the amateur level, Haney and Garcia have some history coming into this bout.
Garcia missed weight by 3.2 pounds, tipping the scales at 143.2 making this bout a non title fight. An unfortunate shift of events in what was a highly anticipated championship contest.
Main card coverage starts Saturday evening at 8 p.m. ET on DAZN. Ringwalks for the Haney-Garcia WBC super lightweight title fight are expected around 11 p.m. ET. This card will stream on DAZN, to live stream it, you’ll need a subscription to DAZN.
Ahead of this showdown, let’s break down their fight history, what to look for, odds and predict an outright winner.
Fight History
Haney and Garcia have fought a total of six times on the amateur scene, with each fighter winning three contests. In their pre-fight sit-downs, there is an obvious respect level coming from each corner.
Per BoxRec, Haney finished his amateur career with a 138-8 record, beating Garcia twice in 2014 and 2015. Garcia finished with a 215-15 record before turning pro. The consensus is that Garcia got the best of Haney early on, but “The Dream” began to develop better skills as time went along.
Here is a clip from the 2014 USA Boxing National Junior Championships, where Haney outperformed Garcia in a unanimous decision win result.
Fight Odds
Haney is a -800 betting favorite to win, while Garcia is a +500 underdog. The favored method of victory is Haney to win by knockout (-115), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Haney-Garcia super lightweight bout prediction
Despite the low ticket sales make no mistake, both Haney and Garcia have both reached world title status in their young careers. However, it seems as if one fighter has become more disciplined than the other. Garcia has the knockout prowess to potentially hurt Haney, but him missing weight is a worrisome development.
Haney already has the technical skill to out land Garcia and dictate the pace. In his last eight fights, Haney has gone the distance and won each bout by decision. I don’t see this trend coming to an end Saturday, Haney by unanimous decision was my pick from the beginning. However, something tells me this one won’t go the distance and I’m siding with a TKO in the 9th round from the WBC titleholder. Don’t be surprised if Haney lands multiple knockdowns en route to a victory.