Boxer Ryan Garcia was unable to contend for the super lightweight title in New York on Saturday after failing to make weight for his fight against Devin Haney. The situation was further complicated by a $1.5 million wager that Garcia had made before the weigh-in.
Prior to the weigh-in, Garcia and Haney agreed that they would owe each other $500,000 for every pound they were overweight. When Garcia stepped on the scale, he weighed in at 143.2 pounds, which was 3.2 pounds over the limit, resulting in a $1.5 million loss for the boxer.
During the weigh-in, Garcia was seen consuming a beer, but later attributed his weight issue to 'apple juice and sparkling water' in a post on social media. Haney confirmed that Garcia had honored the agreement by paying the $1.5 million penalty.
As a result of missing weight, Garcia will no longer be able to compete for Haney's WBC title. However, the fight at Brooklyn's Barclays Center is still set to proceed.
The lead-up to the fight between Garcia and Haney has been eventful, with an incident during a promotional event at the Empire State Building causing the New York Mets to reportedly withdraw an offer for the duo to throw out the first pitch at one of their games.
Heading into Saturday's fight, Haney boasts an impressive record of 31-0 with 15 knockouts, while Garcia holds a record of 24-1 with 20 knockouts.
