The undercard for the Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia fight night left much to be desired. Unbeaten junior middleweight contender Charles Conwell’s swift victory over Nathaniel Gallimore was a non-competitive mismatch that lacked entertainment value. The fight ended in the sixth round, with Conwell dominating Gallimore with ease. This fight felt out of place and would have been better suited for the preliminary card.
Despite the hype surrounding the Haney vs. Garcia fight, the excitement was dulled by the fact that Haney came in over the weight limit, resulting in his WBC title not being at stake. This diminished the stakes of the main event, as Haney’s belt would fall vacant if he were to lose. The decision to keep the PPV price at $69.99 for a non-title fight has drawn criticism from fans and analysts alike.
One of the standout performances of the night came from super middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who put on a boxing clinic against Vaughn Alexander. Despite knocking Alexander down in the ninth round, Derevyanchenko was unable to secure a stoppage victory due to a lengthy delay caused by the referee. The judges’ unanimous decision in Derevyanchenko’s favor further solidified his dominance in the fight.
In the chief support bout, Arnold Barboza Jr. faced off against Sean McComb in a scheduled 10-round fight at light welterweight. Barboza, a highly ranked contender, was looking to maintain his position for a potential world title shot. His performance on this fight night could determine his next steps in his boxing career and his pursuit of a championship opportunity.
While the Haney vs. Garcia main event garnered significant attention, the underwhelming undercard and lack of title fight excitement detracted from the overall experience of the fight night. Standout performances from fighters like Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Arnold Barboza Jr. provided some excitement, but the night as a whole failed to meet the high expectations set for it. Fans and analysts will be looking for improvements in future fight nights to elevate the level of competition and entertainment value for viewers.