Javier Fortuna promised that when he got into the ring with Ryan Garcia, he would prove that Garcia was an overkill. Unfortunately for Fortuna, his predictive power was missing as Garcia dominated the fight from the first seconds before scoring a knockout in the sixth round to the delight of the crowd inside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KO) couldn’t get anything going offensively in the fight, as he struggled to tackle Garcia’s length as the 23-year-old worked behind a punch and his long straight right hand.
Garcia’s patient long-range attack (23-0, 19 KO) paid off in a big way as the Fortuna goalkeeper steadily emerged, revealing his ribs. Garcia took advantage of that in the fourth round, throwing an overwhelming left hook to the body that staggered Fortuna before taking a knee in the fight’s first knockout.
Things didn’t improve for Fortuna in round five as Garcia’s left hand moved from body to head. One of Fortuna’s left hooks caught, sending Fortuna to the canvas for the second time in combat, with the veteran Dominican warrior seriously injured when he hit the rooftop.
The third and final knockout of the fight came in just moments from the sixth round as Garcia unleashed a combination of three punches that ended with another left hook and sent Fortuna back to the plate. This time, Fortuna didn’t go up and Garcia got the knockout at the 0:27 mark of the round.
Although both fighters do lightweight campaigns, the ultra-lightweight combat was contested at the request of the Fortuna camp. After the fight, Garcia explained that he was so comfortable with the weight that he wouldn’t return to the lightweight division.
Even with what he claims is a permanent welterweight move, Garcia remains focused on a massive fight with one of Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ other young superstars on his next descent.
“I felt 100 percent better,” Garcia said. I’m not going back to 135 for nothing but I’ll fight Tank after that. If Tank wants it at 140. Hey I’m going to record all the negotiations so you guys don’t make any headlines I say I’m avoiding. If he wants it, let’s get it …this will give me the respect I deserve. I am never afraid. I said I have a spirit of competition in me. You will see that come out when I fight the tank and shoot his ass.”
Garcia and Davis have long talked about a potential fight while sharing the lightweight with other young stars like Devin Haney and Teofemo Lopez, another fighter who recently moved into the 140-pound class.
While Davis has ventured into the ultra-lightweight division to win the WBA minor title with a dramatic win over Mario Barrios, it is unknown if he is ready to return to the weightlifter as he is only five feet five feet tall. The fight also hinges on the ability of the various promoters and networks to come up with a deal that works for all involved.
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CBS Sports will be with you all the way on Saturday, so be sure to catch up on the live scores and highlights below.
Fight card, results
- Ryan Garcia def. Javier Fortuna via Sixth Round Knockout
- Alexis Rocha def. Luis Alberto Veron by unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 99-91)
- Lamont Roach def. Angel Rodriguez by unanimous decision (116-112, 116-112, 117-111)
- David Jimenez defeated. Ricardo Sandoval by majority decision (114-112, 112-114, 113-113)
Garcia vs. Fortuna scorecard, live coverage
| Garcia | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | KO | 50 | ||||||
| Fortuna | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 43 |
