World title off as unhinged star chugs beer, misses weight

Concerns over Ryan Garcia's mental state heightened a day out from his WBC world title fight against Devin Haney, with the unhinged star coming in 3.2 pounds (1.45kg) overweight, while chugging a beer on the scales.

As promoter Oscar De La stood unimpressed in the background, Garcia, exhibited the type of behaviour that led to a mental evaluation ahead of the fight due to bizarre posts on social media, that ranged from having proof about the existence of aliens, being abused as a child and even suggesting he was going to end his life.

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He did nothing to allay those fears about his mental condition, yelling on the scales after he downed what he said was apple juice and sparkling water, before telling DAZN's Ariel Helwani it was beer, off stage during an interview.

Never has such a display been seen by a world calibre fighter a day out from a world title fight, with Garcia set to lose money as a result of the weight miss.

Last minute negotiations ensured the fight would go ahead but Haney's WBC world title belt is no longer on the line. If Haney loses, the belt will instead become vacant.

Garcia, 25, accepted a handshake deal to pay $500,000 USD for every pound he weighed in over the limit – and Haney has since stated that Garcia has made good on the $1.5 million ($2.34m AUD) agreement.

A Golden Boy Promotions statement confirmed the fight is still on and said Garcia will "honour the handshake made at the final press conference yesterday".

Garcia will also forfeit an undisclosed portion of his purse for the fight.

Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) confirmed the deal, tweeting: "Ryan honoured the 500k per pound."

Garcia said on stage: "I did my best to make this weight. I put myself through hell.

"Yeah yeah yeah, suck my d--k" he told the crowd as boos rained down during the interview.

"I had to give up $1.5 million but that's light work for me."

Garcia's bizarre behaviour in public and on social media leading into their fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn made it impossible to gauge how prepared — or even interested — he was. His inability to make weight means he can't win Haney's WBC title, even if he wins the fight.https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/1781441177079693809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

But Garcia's behaviour had already made Haney even more determined to keep it.

“This is not an easy fight but this is a fight that I will make look easy,” Haney said. “Through all the antics, through everything, I kept my blinders on. I stayed focused, I had my tunnel vision and on Saturday it will show. All his antics and all the stuff that he’s been doing will betray him and it will show.”

A once-respectful rivalry between fighters from California, both now 25, has turned heated in a hurry. A face-to-face confrontation in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl managed to look tame during fight week, when Haney angrily shoved Garcia away as they exchanged words during a promotional event atop the Empire State Building.

Garcia followed a couple days later by letting profanity fly faster than his punches ever could during their final press conference. He spent so much time during the build up to the fight on social media, posting about conspiracies, religion, celebrities and occasionally even boxing, that it seemed there couldn't possibly be enough time spent in the gym.

Garcia had insisted that he was not only serious but better than Haney, whom he calls a mid-level fighter.

“I know he has a lot of skills, I fought him six times, but this is my time and I’m here to just stamp it,” Garcia said recently. “I finally just get that green and gold around my waste and then nobody can say anything about me.”

He can forget the belt, hough he hardly seemed bothered.

Garcia was boxing competitively at an earlier age, which is why Haney said Garcia was the better fighter when they first met and got the better of him early on. Garcia then became a fast-rising and popular contender as a professional but he was beaten in his biggest fight so far, stopped by Gervonta Davis last April when he couldn't get up from a seventh-round body shot.

That fight was contested at 136 pounds, below his normal weight, sapping Garcia of some strength. This one, which will stream on DAZN, was back at the 140-pound limit, though Haney didn't see that making up for what he sees as a significant gap in skill.

“I know how much better I’ve gotten since we were kids and I don’t think Ryan has gotten much better,” Haney said. “He’s been doing what works for him and that’s been working for him, but we haven’t seen any real adjustments. We’ve seen the same Ryan Garcia time in and time out.”

Meanwhile, Haney looked as good as ever in his last outing, knocking down and shutting out Regis Prograis to take his super lightweight title in December.

Haney and Garcia could have had their tiebreaking seventh fight before that, when both fought at 135 pounds, but Garcia didn't pursue it then. He said now is the right time for it to happen.

But he wasn't able to make it count — though laughed it off on social media after missing weight.

“I feel great and I got a 3 pound advantage," Garcia wrote on the social platform X. “Winners do what they have to do I’m still sharp.”

But at least for now, only Haney is a champ.