Beyond the Ring: The Invisible Battles of Boxing’s Brightest Stars
- zed b
- May 6
- 3 min read
This past weekend featured a packed card with some of the biggest stars and most exciting prospects in boxing today. While many fans were left disappointed by the outcomes (excluding Naoya Inoue's performance), I believe these fights revealed something far deeper—something many of us, athletes or not, may never fully understand or experience.
The biggest disappointment among fans centered on the performances of Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney—the two fighters most heavily spotlighted during this historic Times Square event. Devin Haney’s bout against Jose Ramirez produced the fourth-fewest punches thrown in a fight ever recorded by CompuBox, a stat quickly eclipsed by Canelo Álvarez vs. David Benavídez (nicknamed “Skull”), which broke the all-time record for least punches thrown. Ryan Garcia, meanwhile, suffered a flash knockdown in Round 2 of his bout against Rolly Romero and ultimately lost on points.
These two fights were intended to reignite the narrative between Garcia and Haney—once amateur rivals and now marquee professionals. Following Garcia’s first fight and subsequent PED suspension, legal fallout, and intense media scrutiny, this night in Times Square was supposed to serve as a reset. A spark. A statement. But plans don’t always go as intended. Haney looked a shadow of his former self. Garcia looked disconnected.
Yet I believe we shouldn’t rush to criticize either fighter. There’s more to dissect here.
In an interview with Fight Hub TV, former world champion and current analyst Timothy Bradley made a powerful statement:
“PTSD is a real thing in fighting, in boxing—it’s a real thing.”Rarely have truer words been spoken.
What we saw Saturday was living proof of that. Two fighters, each having endured immense personal and professional turmoil this year, entered the ring carrying unseen burdens. If you've ever lost confidence in yourself—doubted your ability to perform at something you once mastered—then magnify that by a thousand, and place it in a sport where the cost of failure could be physical trauma. Then do it under the glare of cameras, crowds, and critics.
Boxing is an unforgiving arena. It doesn’t care about past victories, mental health, or public pressure.
Still, I believe both fighters can and will rise again.
Devin Haney remains one of the most skilled, well-rounded boxers of his generation. But in this fight, he looked under duress. As I’ve written before, boxing has an unhealthy obsession with staying undefeated. Devin, having trained at the Mayweather Gym and grown up in that culture, may be holding too tightly to that "0". Last weekend, Teofimo Lopez showed us what’s possible when you let go of that burden—he entered a flow state, fighting freely and joyfully.
Ryan Garcia has already come back from adversity before. While his performance Friday lacked urgency, his talent is undeniable. He doesn’t need boxing to succeed—he's already achieved fame, wealth, and influence—but the question is: does he still want it? I believe Ryan feeds off the energy of big crowds. He’s been in the spotlight since youth. But the Times Square venue—despite its novelty—lacked atmosphere. As Ryan said afterward:
“It felt like a sparring match... it just didn’t feel authentic to me.”
Still, the same conditions applied to Rolly Romero, who stepped up, stayed focused, and delivered an impressive performance against the odds. Credit where it’s due.
In conclusion, both Garcia and Haney are fully capable of rebounding. A year-long layoff is no small thing in boxing—no amount of training can replicate the chaos, pressure, and raw stakes of a live fight. But with time, renewed confidence, and the right mindset, both can regain momentum—just as Ben Whittaker did so impressively a few weeks ago.(https://www.sweetsciencevault.com/post/ben-whittaker-s-triumph-over-adversity-a-star-in-the-making?referral=business-feed)
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