BOXING
Why isn’t Ryan Garcia the new WBC super lightweight champion after Devin Haney win? Is the belt vacant?
Garcia knocked current champion Haney down three times in a majority decision victory at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Ryan Garcia sent shockwaves through the world of boxing by beating WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney in one of the most anticipated fights of the year at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. However, despite the California native’s famous victory, he doesn’t have a belt to show for it.
More information
Garcia knocks Haney down three times in majority decision win
Few experts gave “KingRy” much hope of winning the fight but he did exactly that, knocking Haney down on three separate occasions for good measure.
Over the 12 rounds, Garcia was deemed to be the winner by majority decision, with two judges scoring 114-110 and 115-109 in Garcia’s favour, with the third marking the fight down as a 112-112 draw.
Haney suffers first defeat in pro career
Before Saturday, Haney had never been floored in the ring and had been unbeaten in his professional career, which has seen him win world championships in two weight classes.
“The Dream” held both the WBC lightweight and Undisputed lightweight belts before moving up a weight class at the end of last year, when he beat Regis Prograis to become the WBC super lightweight champion.
But Garcia’s win doesn’t mean he will be walking around with the belt, which will, it seems, remain around Haney’s waist.
WBC president Sulaiman: Haney remains super lightweight champion
On Friday, “The Flash” missed the weight for the fight, coming in 3.2 pounds over the 140 pound limit. Rather than the bout being cancelled, Garcia instead opted to pay Haney compensation to ensure that it went ahead.
However, because the 25-year-old missed the weight, he was not eligible to become super lightweight champion and the event became a non-title fight for the challenger, although most assumed it was on the line for the champion.
But a new twist in the tale emerged after the fight, when WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman posted on social media that Haney would keep his belt despite his maiden defeat, citing Diego Corrales vs José Luis Castillo II as a precedent.
With Haney still reigning as WBC super lightweight champion, does that increase the chances of a rematch, with the belt on the line? We can only assume that will be the case.