Garcia knocks out Javier Fortuna
After a disappointing performance in April, Ryan Garcia impressed against a much better opponent on Saturday with a sixth-round knockout over Javier Fortuna in a 140-pound fight in Los Angeles.
The 23-year-old star knocked Fortuna down in rounds 4, 5 and 6, all as a result of Garcia’s quick left hook. The first knockdown was produced by a jab to the body, and set up by a feint, but the next two hooks smashed into Fortuna’s chin.
After the last knockdown, Fortuna received the referee’s 10 count with a knee to the canvas, and the end of the fight came 27 seconds into the sixth round.
“I know I was ready… I know how good a fighter I am, I just had to put it all together,” Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) said. “The fight speaks for itself…. When I face harder punchers, I box better…. I hit hard; it doesn’t take much to hurt someone.”
“I’m not going back down to 135 for nothing, but then I’ll fight ‘Tank,'” Garcia said, referring to a super fight with Gervonta Davis. “If ‘Tank’ wants it at 140 … let’s do it.”
Davis, also a star fighter, campaigns at 135 pounds, but fought once at super lightweight, an 11th round technical knockout over Mario Barrios last June.
A Davis-Garcia showdown is one of the biggest commercial events boxing has to offer, but consummating a deal won’t be easy, given the promotional and television division. Davis is aligned with PBC and fights on Showtime, while Garcia is aligned with Golden Boy and fights on DAZN.
Whoever Garcia fights next, he plans for it to be in December, and he’s clearly on the mend after a tumultuous 2021.
After a January 2021 technical knockout over Luke Campbell in the best win of his career, Garcia was set to fight Fortuna last July, but pulled out to address his mental health. A November fight with former champion Joseph Diaz Jr. was canceled after Garcia underwent surgery to repair his right wrist.
He returned in April to beat Emmanuel Tagoe on points, but there wasn’t much action in the fight and, surprisingly, Garcia never knocked the Ghanaian down despite hurting him several times.
Garcia had no such problems against Fortuna, a 33-year-old Dominican who is ESPN’s No. 10 ranked lightweight. He seemed to inflict damage every time he touched him. But Garcia was not only much bigger than Fortuna, he was also much faster. He consistently beat Fortuna and kept him at bay with his jab.
Fortuna rarely threw a punch, and when he did, the shots rarely hit the target. Fortuna’s (37-4-1, 26 KOs) right eye was swollen by the end of the contest. It was Fortuna’s second loss in three fights; he was beaten on points by Diaz last July.
“I was told he was a guy who didn’t care about boxing and made up mental health [problems],” Garcia said.
He added: “It’s not weakness. It’s strength. It’s courage.”
With Garcia now in shape, and with a second fight under Joe Goossen’s tutelage, he should be ready for much better opposition, whether it’s Davis, undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney or any of the top fighters in his new weight class.
“Let’s get the big fights going,” Garcia said. “I’m sure Devin can’t do 135 either, let’s be honest. That guy is big too…. None of us will make 135, let’s be realistic.”
