Any talk that Ryan Garcia’s bizarre behavior in the lead-up to Saturday’s fight with WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney was Garcia simply pulling out psychological tactics is likely over. Garcia missed weight at Friday’s weigh-ins, coming in at 143.2 pounds, well over the 140-pound limit.
During fight week, Haney repeatedly said Garcia looked heavy and claimed that Garcia would miss weight. During Thursday’s press conference, Garcia challenged Haney to a bet, saying he would pay the champion if he missed weight, settling on $500,000 per pound over the junior welterweight limit of 140.
According to longtime boxing reporter Dan Rafael, the two sides did reach a financial agreement to move ahead with the fight. A Golden Boy spokesperson said that the two reached an agreement and that Garcia would honor the handshake deal made at the press conference.
The weight miss is just another bizarre moment in the build to the fight, which saw the once upbeat and fun Garcia frequently going on conspiracy theory-fueled rants to his massive social media audience while also going out to clubs and also being accused of inappropriate behavior by a female he’d been working with.
Haney and Garcia engaged in a brief shoving match during a photo opportunity at the Empire State Building, which led to the pair being pulled from a planned role throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Mets game that same day.
Garcia is now ineligible to win the WBC title on Saturday, meaning he has cost himself his first shot at becoming a world champion. The bigger concern for many, however, is the fight proceeding despite Garcia displaying myriad troubling behaviors, topped off by not coming in on weight.
