Press conference turns ugly as Devin Haney accuses Ryan Garcia of being drunk

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia press tour obtained off to a heated begin on Tuesday because the defending WBC 140-pound titleholder accused Garcia of being intoxicated on the New York leg of the press convention.

“You’ve been ingesting. I can odor it in your breath,” mentioned Haney. The accusation appeared to enrage Garcia, who initially denied there was liquor on his breath earlier than saying “I’ll drink a beer and beat the f__k out of you.” The strain continued to construct as Garcia repeatedly mentioned, “How about I beat the f__k out of you?” in louder and louder tones. The 2 didn’t cease speaking lengthy sufficient to pose for photographs, and Garcia stormed off after one other risk.

The 2 fighters weren’t sporting microphones, and the context of their chatter didn’t turn out to be obvious till a video posted by FightHype was in a position to choose up a few of what they had been saying.

The accusation was by no means corroborated, and nobody else had made such claims on the occasion, which started at near 2 p.m. and attracted a whole lot of followers and dozens of media.

Even when microphones didn’t choose up their face-to-face interactions at first, Haney (31-0, 15 KOs), The Ring’s No. 1-rated junior welterweight, repeated the accusation whereas speaking to reporters afterward.

“You’re drunk! You’re an alcoholic!”

Devin Haney mentioned he smelled liquor on Ryan Garcia’s breath 😬

(through @fighthype) pic.twitter.com/nlw6uOxdCS

— Comfortable Punch (@HappyPunch) February 27, 2024

“Ryan was on the mother__king press convention drunk as a skunk. Hopefully he will get it collectively earlier than April twentieth and I’m gonna have him punch drunk on that day,” mentioned Haney, who will make the primary protection of his belt in opposition to Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on April 20 at Barclays Middle in Brooklyn.

Haney gave the same rationalization when requested to touch upon Garcia’s latest social media habits, the place he has appeared simply as considering pursuing feuds with UFC fighter Sean O’Malley, plus actor Shia Labeouf and pop singer Billie Eilish.

“Ryan is an alcoholic, he drinks lots. We don’t know which Ryan we’re gonna get. We don’t know, he could be off a bottle of Casamigos (tequila) if you’re speaking to him,” mentioned Haney.

Garcia, whose voice appeared hoarse at instances, was composed whereas chatting with reporters after the press convention, in sharp distinction together with his aggressive demeanor in direction of Haney. He wasn’t requested about Haney’s accusations in direction of him, and spoke usually phrases when requested why he, as a +475 underdog in accordance with Draft Kings, is so assured in his probabilities within the battle.

“I simply know I’m that a lot better than him. There’s so many issues I can say, I’d simply quite do it,” mentioned Garcia, whose eighth-round knockout win over Oscar Duarte in December helped him bounce again from a seventh spherical KO loss to Gervonta Davis earlier within the yr.

There have been a number of different contentious moments between the 2 on the dais. Haney, alluding to the on-and-off negotiations for the battle over the previous months, mentioned “We are able to say that he’s desirous to battle me, however we don’t know. If he goes on one other jog with Floyd, he would possibly pull out.”

Haney was prepared to get into extra specifics about why he thinks he, the -700 betting favourite, is almost definitely to retain his title, saying that Garcia is a one trick pony together with his left hook who hasn’t advanced since their novice days, once they break up six bouts, three wins apiece.

“He is aware of he don’t have the abilities, he don’t have the IQ, he don’t have the center. We’ve seen him stop. We’ve seen you’re taking a knee and on April 20 it gained’t be no completely different. When it will get scorching, you stop,” mentioned Haney.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Every day Information, Rappler and The Guardian, and is a part of the Craig Newmark Graduate College of Journalism Class of 2020. He could be reached at [email protected].