Haney vs. Garcia: Strengths and Weaknesses

In every boxing matchup, each fighter has areas of strength that can be utilized to achieve victory, and areas of weakness that their opponent can exploit. The fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia is no different.

In anticipation of their April 20th bout on DAZN PPV, we’ll explore the strengths and weaknesses of both Haney and Garcia, and analyze how each can take advantage of their own strengths and their opponent’s weaknesses.

Devin Haney

Strengths:

Devin Haney, the WBC junior welterweight champion, does everything well. From footwork to defense, Haney has a solid grasp of each aspect of the boxing craft. However, there isn’t anything he does exceptionally well. The closest Haney comes to exceptional is with his jab. Haney sets up both his offense and defense off of his jab. From maintaining distance to setting traps, Haney’s jab is the foundation. 

In the first fight against George Kambosos, Haney controlled Kambosos with the jab, keeping him at distance and in range for the right cross. 

Against Vasily Lomachenko, Haney was successful in putting Loma on the back foot by doubling his jab, setting up hooks to the body both with the jab and with jab feints. 

Weaknesses:

Devin Haney doesn’t have many glaring weaknesses. The previous common wisdom about Haney’s weakness involved his lack of punching power. However, with his performance against Lomachenko, where he destroyed Loma’s body, and his knockdown and battering of Regis Prograis, punching power can no longer be looked at as a weakness. It’s still not a strength, but Haney has proven to have respectable punching power.

Haney’s biggest weakness may also be what we determined was his biggest strength. As stated above, Haney’s jab is his best weapon, however, it does have a flaw that Ryan Garcia may be able to capitalize on. When Haney throws his jab, he has a tendency to drop his right hand, leaving his chin exposed to the left hook. 

Due to Haney’s defensive awareness and maneuvering after throwing the jab, this flaw has yet to be exploited, but a fast handed, power left hooking fighter with good timing could land that critical blow.

Ryan Garcia

Strengths:

Garcia’s biggest strengths are his hand speed and powerful left hook. While Garcia carries good power in his right cross, it’s his left hook that has led to most of his finishes against his stiffest competition.  

Garcia knocked out Luke Campbell with a left hook to the body. He knocked out Javier Fortuna with a left hook to the temple. Garcia’s one shot, fight ending power could pay dividends in the fight against Haney. As we discussed in Devin Haney’s weaknesses, Haney’s tendency to lower his right when he jabs exposes him to a left hook. No one has yet been able to take advantage of that flaw, but with Garcia’s hand speed and power, he may be the one to capitalize.

Weaknesses:

Ryan Garcia’s defense is his biggest area of weakness. Garcia doesn’t move his head, leaving him vulnerable to jabs and counterattacks. Additionally, Garcia often pulls straight back with his hands down, a cardinal sin in boxing.

Against Luke Campbell, Garcia was dropped by a hook while pulling straight back with his hands down. While Haney doesn’t have the punching power to fully take advantage of this flaw and end the fight, Haney is capable of repeatedly punishing Garcia throughout the course of the fight. 

Both fighters have areas that they can exploit in the other fighter’s game. It will be the fighter who can best utilize their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses that will be victorious on April 20th.