Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia Prediction and Betting Tips: The Dream to remain undefeated via stoppage in Brooklyn

Old rivals Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia will settle a score in New York this weekend, with the super lightweight title on the line in the contest being labelled 'Game 7'.

The bout's branded metaphor stems from a stacked history between this pair, who've met six times during the amateur ranks and currently have honours shared 3-3 results wise.

This seventh meeting couldn't be coming at a more appropriate time in many ways, with both fighters aged 25 and considered to be in their athletic prime.

That being said, much has been made about the mental state of challenger 'King Ry', whose nonsensical public rants and alarming social media activity is difficult to decipher as either the downfall of a prominent public figure or a clever ploy to deceive his opponent.

Both of these were touted to become superstars in the sport for quite some time, and that's come to fruition for both in their own ways - Garcia as a popular, outspoken figure among the younger crowd, while Haney has earned his reputation as a master technician.

Almost all opinions say that Haney gets the job done in relatively conclusive fashion by way of a unanimous decision, however, our leaning is towards the WBC super lightweight champ producing a stoppage in his first title defence.

It's hard to describe Garcia's tirades as anything other than an enormous distraction from his preparations for this bout.

There were a number of different factors at play in Ryan's first defeat at a lower weight class to Gervonta Davis, no less the rehydration clause that depleted his energy levels. But ultimately, Haney is a better fighter than 'Tank' and provides a sizeable jump in quality for the challenger - one that we identify as being too much for him to handle.

Devin earned his stripes after a 12-round chess match with Vasyl Lomachenko and putting on a clinic against against WBC champion Regis Prograis to secure this belt. Those fights have showcased a set of skills that make him extremely slick and very well measured, which could see the San Francisco native dominate his opponent with a spectacular ending being the cherry on top of a proficient performance.

His defensive style and ability to box the socks off just about any 135lbs-140lbs fighter is likely to encourage an aggressive approach from Garcia, whose considerable amount of chat now needs to be backed up inside the ring.

Ego can do irreparable damage to a person's mindset, so if the underdog feels like he's in danger of having his reputation damaged by an underwhelming performance, then he could go on a desperate search for the knockout himself which will only leave him exposed to being picked off at will on the outside.

Ultimately, these two have walked very different paths since last meeting in a vest, and that disparity is more than likely going to be evident at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.

If Ryan burns out quickly by attempting to subdue Haney and avoid a one-sided affair on the scorecards, then this matchup has all of the makings for a late stoppage as predicted earlier.

His divisive performance in December's knockout victory over Oscar Duarte was rescued by that eighth round stoppage, which could be a real confidence booster for King Ry, but may also contribute to a second loss in three.

No matter his preparations, he'll always be a live threat in any fight due to his power and speed, but Devin will be well aware of those assets and is accustomed to a gameplan that feels almost tailor made for defeating Garcia.

If Gervonta Davis managed to avoid that signature left hook of Garcia's then the defensive prowess of Haney should be enough to keep his chin out of harm's way from this moneymaker.

Haney's jab is simply too sharp and his excellent footwork is that effective that it feels as if he'll be able to dictate exactly how and when he wraps this contest up.