Ryan Garcia moved to 23-0 with a nineteenth stoppage and immediately called out Gervonta Davis for a fight.
The boxing superstar put the division on notice by delivering a spectacular performance against former two-time world champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs).
Ryan Garcia
Garcia’s triumph occurred in front of a star-studded audience at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
The night’s main attraction featured non-stop action and celeb appearances by actors Michael B. Jordan, Danny Trejo, television personality Mario Lopez, and the LA Rams’ Sean McVay and Aron Donald.
The action started with Fortuna taking the initiative and going after Ryan. The latter utilized his jab and long punches.
Garcia caught Fortuna with a body shot, bringing him down in the fourth round.
Fortuna got dropped again in the fifth round. He finally got stopped by the ref in the sixth round with a time of 0:27 via knockout.
“I want to thank God first and foremost,” said Ryan Garcia. “But I know that I performed well for myself. I was crisp and sharp. I stayed in my truth.
“And I didn’t do anything crazy. I know how good of a fighter I am. But I just had to put it all together, just like tonight.
“Fortuna hit hard. He has a hard fist. Like I said, when I fight stronger opponents, I box better.
Body shot
“Yes, I caught him with a body shot. He thought I was going for the head, but I switched it on him.
“I felt he would throw the Luke Campbell shot [the shot that dropped Ryan against Campbell].
“I feel like everyone will try to hit me with that shot. But I hit hard, so it doesn’t take much to hurt someone.”
On his battle with mental health that delayed the fight for over a year, Garcia added: “It felt like [I made] a statement to come back to the timeline I was at.
“Mental health is a time to reflect on yourself and get better for the future. That’s not weakness. That’s strength, and that’s courage!
“You saw me today when I stepped in the ring. That’s nothing but courage and skill.”
Gervonta Davis
“I felt way better at this weight. I’m not going down to 135 for anything. But I will fight Tank next if he wants it at 140.
“I’ll make sure to record all the negotiations so you can’t say I was ducking. I want that fight because it will give me the respect I deserve.
“I’m never afraid. I have a spirit of competition in me. You’ll see that come out when I fight Tank and whoop him.”
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