In relation to Devin Haney, my ideas on the child have been far and wide.
I’ve criticized his safety-first ring fashion and a mindset that, as I beforehand wrote, “generally traits in direction of a sensible, however cynical ‘do exactly sufficient to win’ mindset that makes one doubt whether or not true greatness is within the playing cards for him.”
I’ve additionally heaped reward on him as somebody who’s dealt with his profession impeccably these previous few years, leaving cash on the desk to (efficiently) gamble on himself previous to the Kambosos fights after which parlay these wins into sensible career-growing bouts with Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis.
I assume it boil all the way down to a human being human. There’s some good, some not-so-good, and I decide accordingly. I do know, that’s remarkable on this present boxing local weather the place you, apparently, must “decide a aspect” and keep there, transferring heaven and earth to justify why “your man” is all the time in the precise and the opposite guys are all the time within the mistaken.
However I digress.
A good friend was telling me the opposite day that he felt sorry for Haney, that what must be probably the most commercially profitable bout of his profession has been tarnished by Ryan Garcia’s nutso hijinks all all through the lead-in to the April 20 occasion. “Devin deserves higher,” he instructed me.
And, in that second, I agreed with him.
Haney’s carried himself properly for a younger fighter on this era of athletes with 24/7 direct entry to saying silly shit on social media. He’s additionally been moderately mature and managed when coping with all of Garcia’s nonsense. Yeah, he deserves a extra dignified industrial showcase struggle the place he’s not sharing the stage with a man calling him homosexual, saying he’s the satan, and in any other case appearing like a shit-headed 14-year-old.
However then I considered it.
Ryan Garcia along with his new “Goofy Garcia” routine and all the eye he’s drawing to himself, goes to make Devin some huge cash, each within the current tense and down the road.
I do know that tickets gross sales have been gradual, however that’s a perform of poor planning– like having a Vegas fighter and a So. Cal fighter competing on the opposite aspect of the nation with tickets wildly overpriced. Plus, it didn’t assist that Garcia was appearing so bonkers that many questioned whether or not the struggle would even occur.
None of that’s on Haney, although. And, finally, I don’t suppose any of that can have an effect on pay-per-view numbers.
I’m not anticipating Tank Davis-Ryan Garcia numbers, however Haney-Garcia ought to do properly by fashionable boxing pay-per-view requirements. And, if we’re being sincere right here, a lot of that can come from Garcia.
No, all of the bullshit about satanic ritual sexual abuse, abductions, intercourse predators, aliens, earthquake predictions and many others. gained’t drive any PPV buys. Neither will any of Ryan’s teen angst by way of social media.
What all that stuff DOES do, nevertheless, is preserve the occasion within the public eye. It additionally stokes the flame of these on the lookout for one other Haney popping out occasion and/or a Garcia comeuppance. The fixed, multi-times-a-day reminder from Garcia that “this struggle is developing” is all the time a constructive, even when it’s buried in an Easter basket of BS and normal dumbness.
When/if Haney beats Garcia (it’s most probably a “when,” tbh), Devin will get some critical traction from this most unserious opponent. He’ll get a pleasant payday, too, plus pay-per-view negotiating leverage in terms of his subsequent large struggle.
This stands to be a win-win for Haney– except, in fact, Garcia manages to harm him with considered one of his large, rocket-like left palms, which I nonetheless say stays considered one of boxing’s greatest one-shot weapons.
Then, I assume, the “Goofy Garcia” nonsense will go on for some time longer.
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