It’s improbable that Ryan Garcia’s recent erratic behavior ahead of his clash with WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney was mere psychological maneuvering.
Garcia’s failure to make weight at Friday’s weigh-ins, registering 143.2 pounds, significantly exceeding the 140-pound threshold, is a testament to this.
Throughout the lead-up to the fight, Haney consistently remarked on Garcia appearing heavy, even predicting Garcia’s failure to meet the weight requirement.
At Thursday’s press conference, Garcia even challenged Haney to a wager, asserting he would compensate the champion if he missed weight, agreeing to $500,000 for each pound over the 140-pound mark.
Haney confirmed shortly after Garcia’s weigh-in mishap that Garcia did indeed fulfill his end of the bet by compensating him for the missed weight.
Both parties did come to a financial arrangement to proceed with the bout. A representative from Golden Boy stated that an agreement was reached, and Garcia would uphold the informal agreement made during the press conference handshake.
The weight miss adds to the string of peculiar incidents leading up to the fight, where Ryan Garcia, once known for his upbeat persona, veered into conspiracy-laden rants on social media while frequenting clubs and facing accusations of misconduct from a female colleague.
The oddities persisted at the ceremonial weigh-ins, where Garcia seemingly downed a beer on stage before stepping on the scale, later claiming it was a prank involving sparkling water and apple juice.
A skirmish between Haney and Garcia during a photo session at the Empire State Building resulted in their removal from a scheduled ceremonial first pitch at a New York Mets game on the same day.
Garcia’s failure to make weight renders him ineligible for the WBC title on Saturday, forfeiting his initial opportunity to claim a world championship.
However, the more pressing concern for many is the fight proceeding despite Garcia’s concerning behavior, culminating in his weight miss.
