Derrick James, trainer of Ryan Garcia, expressed satisfaction after Garcia's surprising victory over Devin Haney on Saturday night. James stating it could be challenging for Haney to bounce back.
Ryan Garcia, coached by 2022 Trainer of the Year Derrick James, was considered a massive underdog before the fight. Despite this, Garcia delivered a powerful performance by landing 106 punches compared to Haney's 87. Garcia achieved three knockdowns using his signature left hook which led to a majority decision victory against 25-year-old Devin Haney.
Following the fight, James remarked on his fulfillment and pride in executing their game plan effectively. "I feel accomplished. I feel like I did my job. And that's what it's all about," he said post-fight, highlighting their strategic success. Reflecting further on his coaching career, James described this win as potentially the most satisfying one yet.
Concerning Haney's future in boxing after such a harsh defeat, James noted, "He really beat him up bad. I think it would have been better for [Haney] to get knocked out [early] because it's going to be hard to recover from getting beat up like that." He elaborated that their strategy was aggressive from the start: "The game plan was always about taking everything from [Haney]."
Amid prep-fight controversies involving Ryan Garcia exceeding weight limits and engaging in antics, Derrick expressed hope for less negativity moving forward. "Man, I hope so. I'm not into that. I'm on the low. I don't really move like that. I don't like the negativity," he stated regarding Garcia's approach outside of ring tactics.
Derrick James' background includes multiple high-profile training stints with boxers like Errol Spence Jr., Jermell Charlo, Frank Martin, and Anthony Joshua before teaming up with Ryan Garcia. While recent years have had mixed outcomes in significant bouts for his fighters, this year marked a revival with Garcia’s knockout win against Oscar Duarte last December and now this commanding victory over Devin Haney.
