Devin Haney’s dad accuses Ryan Garcia of ‘cheating’ to win their Brooklyn grudge fight and reveals where fight was lost
DEVIN HANEY'S dad has accused Ryan Garcia of "cheating" to victory.
Garcia dropped Haney three times on the way to a stunning upset in New York.
But the build up was marred in controversy, hitting new heights when Garcia came in 3.2lb over the 140lb limit.
It meant the American superstar forfeited his chance to win Haney's WBC super-lightweight title.
But Garcia did gain a weight advantage while agreeing to pay the champion a financial compensation.
Now, Haney's father, trainer and manager Bill appears to have suggested Garcia came in overweight on purpose.
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He told BoxingScene: “That’s calculated. That’s cheating."
Garcia agreed a handshake wager with Haney Jr and Sr to pay $500,000 for every lb he scaled overweight.
And on weigh-in day, both teams claimed a $1.5MILLION fine had been honoured.
Instead, Bill is understood to have negotiated $600,000 from Garcia's purse plus two per cent of his pay-per-view bonuses.
Haney, 25, was a huge favourite heading into the fight having had a superior record, with titles in two divisions.
And Garcia, 25, looked to be suffering with a public meltdown after several online rants, fake marriage proposals and boozy nights out.
But he pulled off a remarkable and almost unthinkable performance to stun Haney to a first career defeat.
Bill added: “We went against everything that’s wrong with boxing.
"[Devin] followed the rules. Got knocked down. Got up again and again, and fought like the champion he still is.
"He proved he was a warrior, and now life goes on.”
Garcia, who had six bouts with Haney in the amateurs winning three of them, is renowned for his left hook.
And Bill admitted failure to prevent the shot from landing - as early as the first round - is what proved to be his son's downfall.
Garcia and Haney's history explained
The history dates back well before the Brooklyn brawl.
Garcia and Haney boxed six times as amateurs before turning pro with three wins against each other each.
Their shared history in the unpaid ranks meant a blockbuster bout in the pros was just a matter of time.
And when it came around any friendship formed had turned bitter following a volatile build up between the pair.
Garcia was even subject to a mental health evaluation by the New York commission due to his worrying social media outbursts.
But he got the last laugh in the ring by flooring Haney three times on the way to a famous upset.
Although even a clear-cut victory was marred in controversy after Garcia came in 3.2lb over weight just a day before his heroics in the ring.
A rematch clause was not included in the contract but a sequel cannot be ruled out after so many chapters in the rivalry.
He said: “Initially getting hit with it, I don’t think [Devin] recovered. Getting caught early was a recipe for disaster.
“The left hand, we had a plan for it because it’s Ryan’s money punch."
Haney has kept his WBC belt after Garcia's failure to make weight but the contract did not include a rematch clause.
The beaten champion uploaded a picture bumping into Garcia's promoter Oscar de la Hoya just days after his brutal defeat.
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Meanwhile, Garcia has enjoyed a victory tour, including a meet with former president Donald Trump.