Boxing star Ryan Garcia has made the extraordinary claim that his erratic behaviour in the lead-up to his upset of Devin Haney was pre-planned as part of an elaborate publicity stunt.
In the days prior to his shock win over WBC super lightweight champion Haney, Garcia’s behaviour online and in person concerned observers.
Garcia knocked Haney down three times and handed the WBC super lightweight champion his first loss, winning the fight by majority decision, but not the title because he had failed to make weight, defiantly chugging a beer in bizarre scenes.
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Garcia did everything a boxer is taught not to do in the lead up to the fight, admitting to drinking throughout training camp and spending a lot of time on social media.
Speaking on the PBD podcast in the aftermath of the surprise win, the 26-year-old claimed his troubling antics were part of planned stunt, he titled “The Great Escape.”
“We had it pre-recorded months ago,” Garcia said. “I said ‘I’m about to make sure everybody thinks I’m going crazy’.
“I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that, watch it’s going to be called ‘The Great Escape.’ I have it all documented. I was already planning weeks and weeks and weeks behind. I don’t know what made me come up with the idea.”
Garcia did not disclose what triggered him to go down that path.
“One day, I just decided to go all in and just commit to a plan that I had, and I was not going to budge for nobody,” he said.
“It don’t matter if I went on his podcast or anybody’s podcast; I was acting sporadic, just like crazy.”
Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) won by scores of 115-109 and 114-110 on two of the judges’ cards, while the third had it 112-112.
“Come on guys, you really thought I was crazy?,” Garcia screamed to the fans during his post-fight interview in the ring.
Garcia explained that he needs his nights out and time for his other interests to help get past problems in his personal life, such as a divorce.
“I did what I thought I needed to do to feel OK,” Garcia said.
Garcia said he would look to move up to 147 pounds, saying he is unable to get to the 140-pound limit.