Light welterweight prospect Tito Mercado sees trouble ahead for an unfocused Ryan Garcia in his fight against WBC 140-lb champion Devin Haney on April 20th.
Mercado believes Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) may quit in the later rounds against Haney (31-0,15 KOs). He notes that Ryan, 25, quit before against Gervonta Davis, and he thinks it’s possible he’ll do the same in his title fight against Haney.
Quitting a second time would be bad for Ryan’s career, but it’s questionable how much he cares about boxing at this point. He seems more devoted to his different causes and reminds some of how quarterback Colin Kaepernick lost focus during his NFL career, and would up out of the sport due to poor play.
Ryan has reportedly made $40 million during his career, so it won’t be the end of the world if he quits against Haney and this is his end.
Haney vs. Garcia will be shown on DAZN PPV from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Tickets are not selling, and the $80 PPV price could turn this into a financial disaster.
History of Quitting Raises Concerns
“I think Devin may be able to stop him. I don’t think he’ll knock him out, but he might be able to stop him in the later rounds. We’ve seen what Ryan is capable of,” said Tito Mercado to Fighthype, talking about Ryan Garcia possibly getting stopped by WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney on April 20th.
Many fans believe Ryan could have gotten up in his loss to Tank Davis last year when he was dropped by a body shot in the seventh. The way that Ryan bounced to his feet immediately after being counted out, and walked back to his corner looking like he was fine, it gave the impression that he quit.
“Regardless of body shot or not, I think he [Ryan] was able to get up [against Gervonta Davis]. Fighters know what they’re able to get up [from], but obviously, he’s capable of quitting. I see a possibility of him quitting again,” said Mercado.
Worry About Ryan’s Focus
“I really hope his mental is right because boxing is a dangerous sport. One shot can change anything. I hope he’s really focused and doing it as a publicity stunt,” said Mercado about Ryan’s odd behavior during the build-up to the Haney fight.
It’s difficult to know if Ryan is purposefully acting strange to help promote the fight with Haney. He may be perfectly fine, but what his behavior does show is that he’s not really into boxing anyone.
He seems more interested in his social causes than in his profession, and that’s not good for him because he’s facing someone he would need to be at his best to beat. If Ryan loses, he should probably retire, pour his energy into his social causes, and devote the rest of his life to saving the world.
“Ryan may be stronger and faster and has a strong left hook. I don’t think he’s focused. I know that Devin Haney is strictly on boxing. When you’re competing at a high level, every single thing matters like that. So, when you have your mind all over the place, it’s not going to go well,” said Mercado.
