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Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney's highly anticipated fight was filled with pre-fight theatrics, and it seems those tactics may have gotten under Haney's team's skin.
Leading up to the bout, the two young fighters had been engaged in a heated rivalry. Garcia arrived at the Barclays Center sporting a custom shirt that read "Murder on my mind" and a chilling message on the back: "Rip Devin Haney, 1999-2024."
But Garcia didn't stop there. In a move that surprised many, he invited a string quartet into his dressing room shortly before the fight. The sight of violins serenading Garcia, while boxing legend Mike Tyson offered encouragement, created a bizarre juxtaposition from the usual pre-fight hype.
In a recent interview with FightHype, Devin Haney's cornerman, Rodney Crisler, revealed how Garcia's unconventional pre-fight ritual caught them off guard.
He said:
“I went to his room. Ryan was relaxed, I went to his room. He had a four-band violinist in his room and his karma was just cool. When I saw that, I was like, Sh*t. And I told the team [Devin Haney’s team], Hey, man, this guy, you know, he had new violin music getting his aura right. All that right there means a lot."
He added:
"You know, a lot of fighters. A lot of fighters you know, they want to get hyped, This rap group, this and that. But I’m watching the top thing. What he [Ryan] was doing. I mean, and then when he won, he was listening to the violinists, he was listening to the, you know… I mean he had his zen right, going into this fight. It was a big problem but it was too late. We signed on the dotted lines so we had to go through it.”
Check out the cornerman's remark on Ryan Garcia's pre-fight antics below:
Ryan Garcia confirms moving up a division following recent win over Devin Haney
Ryan Garcia caused a stir in the boxing world on April 20, defeating the previously undefeated Devin Haney by a majority decision. The fight, originally scheduled for the WBC super lightweight title, was contested at a catchweight after Garcia failed to make the 140-pound limit.
Following the win, Garcia confirmed in a post-fight press conference that he would be permanently moving up to the welterweight division :
"I'm moving up. I'm not doing 140 [pounds]. I'm going to 147 [pounds]. I can't make 140 [pounds]. I never even technically fought at 140. I fought every time at 143 [pounds]. My body literally can't go lower than 143, it's impossible. I tried every technique, I can't do it."
Check out Ryan Garcia's comment below (22:30):
