Javier Fortuna promised that when he steps into the ring with Ryan Garcia, he will prove that Garcia is overrated. Unfortunately for Fortuna, his predictive powers were lacking as Garcia dominated the fight from the opening seconds before scoring a sixth-round knockout to the delight of the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs) was never able to get anything going offensively in the fight, struggling to deal with Garcia’s length as the 23-year-old worked behind a stiff jab and long straight right hands.
Garcia’s (23-0, 19 KO) patient long offense paid off in a big way as Fortuna’s guard steadily rose, exposing his ribs. Garcia took advantage in the fourth round, landing a crushing left hook to the body that sent Fortuna reeling before taking a knee for the first knockdown of the fight.
Things didn’t get any better for Fortuna in the fifth round when Garcia’s left hand moved from the body back to the head. One of those left hooks caught Fortuna flush, sending Fortuna to the canvas for the second time in the fight, the Dominican veteran flinching badly as he hit the deck.
The third and final knockdown of the fight came just moments into the sixth round when Garcia landed a three-punch combination that ended with another left hook and sent Fortuna back to the canvas. This time, Fortuna did not rise and Garcia was knocked out at 0:27 of the round.
Although both fighters normally campaign at lightweight, the fight took place at super lightweight at the request of Fortuna’s camp. After the fight, Garcia made it clear that he was so comfortable with the weight that he would not be moving back down to lightweight.
Even with what he claims is a steady weight hike, Garcia remains focused on a massive fight with one of the lightweight’s other young stars in Gervonta “Tank” Davis for his next outing.
“100 percent, I felt a lot better,” Garcia said. “I’m not going back to 135 for anything, but I’m going to fight ‘Tank’ next. If “Tank” wants it at 140. Hey, I’ll record all the negotiations so you guys don’t make headlines saying I’m bowing out. If he wants it, let’s get it… It will give me the respect I deserve. I’m never afraid. I said I have a competitive spirit. You’ll see that come out when I fight a tank and kick his ass.”
Garcia and Davis have long discussed a potential fight while sharing the bantamweight division alongside other young stars such as Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez, another fighter who recently moved up to 140 pounds.
Although Davis moved up to super lightweight to win a secondary WBA title with a dramatic victory over Mario Barrios, it is not known if he would be willing to move back up to weight considering he is only 5-foot-5. The fight also depends on the various promoters and networks being able to work out a deal that works for everyone involved.
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CBS Sports will be with you all the way on Saturday, so be sure to follow along with the live scores and highlights below.
Fight card, results
- Ryan Garcia defeated Javier Fortuna by knockout in the sixth round
- Alexis Rocha def Luis Alberto Veron via decision (100-90, 100-90, 99-91)
- Lamont Roach def. Angel Rodriguez via decision (116-112, 116-112, 117-111)
- David Jimenez def Ricardo Sandoval via majority decision (114-112, 112-114, 113-113)
Garcia vs. Fortuna live stream
Garcia 10 10 10 10 10KO 50Fortuna 9 9 9 8 8 43
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