In addition to scoring the biggest win of his boxing career, Ryan Garcia banked some pretty big money.
‘King Ryan’ shocked the world on Saturday night, delivering a lights-out performance against WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. Garcia knocked down Haney three times en route to a majority decision victory, moving him to an overall record of 25-1.
Shortly after his big win, reports claimed that Garcia had walked away with a big payday after placing a $2 million bet on himself to beat Haney at +600 odds. Scoring the upset, Garcia is said to have walked away with a cool $12 million in addition to his purse.
Though no hard evidence has been provided of the bet being placed, Garcia commented on the report, suggesting that he did indeed bet on himself ahead of Saturday’s non-title clash in Brooklyn, NY.
“If you bet, BET ON YOURSELF on top of what we made. EATING GOOD,” Garcia wrote on Instagram. “About 50 million (probably more )in one night not too shabby. I will let God guide me on how to use this money.”
No wonder Garcia wasn’t overly concerned with the $1.5 million he agreed to pay Devin Haney for showing up three pounds over the 140-pound limit. Because of that, Garcia was ineligible to win the WBC title, but it looks like he gained a lot more than a belt by doing things his way.
Did Ryan Garcia Accomplish the Greatest Troll Job in the History of Combat Sports?
In the weeks leading up to his scrap with Haney, Garcia appeared to have a complete and total mental breakdown. He made outlandish claims that he had been held captive, exploited, and even murdered at one point. As a result sportsbooks slowly began losing faith in his ability to win the fight, causing the odds to widen with each passing day.
By the time ‘King Ryan’ made his walk to the ring, you could find him sitting as an 8-to-1 underdog.
In retrospect, some pundits believe that Ryan’s ridiculous pre-fight antics were nothing more than a grand troll job designed to skewer the odds in favor of Haney and maximize his earning potential by placing a play on himself. Furthermore, many believe that Ryan never once intended to make the agreed-upon weight, further improving his chances of winning the fight by not depleting himself with a difficult weight cut.
Whether any of that proves to be true remains to be seen. But one thing we do know is that Ryan Garcia cashed in big and he did it at the expense of every boxing fan and analyst who doubted him.
Check out highlights from Haney vs. Garcia below:
