At the final press conference, Ryan Garcia lost a $150,000 watch for his clash with Javier Fortuna. Amazingly, his opponent found it.
Fortuna waited until the pair met again at the weigh-in to return the watch to its rightful owner.
Ryan Garcia’s watch
Garcia was pleased as the two fighters enjoyed an embrace before they embarked on war.
It’s the second thing Fortuna has given Garcia after handing over his Chicago Bulls hat as a gift. The gesture came after Ryan told Fortuna that he likes the Chicago Bulls.
The mutual respect between them is something to behold.
Before the meeting, Fortuna revealed how much winning this fight means to him.
“Obviously, there have been a couple of times in my career where I left it up to the judges. It wasn’t a good thing.
“It’s either he kills me, or I kill him. Me giving you this hat doesn’t guarantee I won’t break your face on Saturday. I don’t want any excuses.”
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya, who witnessed the watch being returned, expects a tough fight for Garcia.
“I think it’s going to be a difficult fight for both fighters. You can’t count out the experience his opponent Fortuna has. He’s coming with everything.
“He has the tools to offset a young Ryan Garcia. I feel like it’s sink or swim for both guys. We know the fans are in for a treat.”
On his status in Los Angeles, De La Hoya added: “It feels good being among the best. Being born in East LA and growing up in LA.
“I feel very proud of having the statue at the Crypto. It’s an inspiration for generations to come.”
“When I started Golden Boy Promotions, it was all about giving opportunities. Boxing has been everything to me, so I’m very glad I can give these opportunities to anyone with a dream.
“This platform, Golden Boy Boxing is something to take advantage of. We open up the doors, and it’s up to the fighters to take advantage of it.”
Garcia vs Fortuna tickets and information
Tickets for Garcia vs. Fortuna are on sale now and are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, $75, and $50, not including applicable service charges.
Tickets will be available for purchase online at AXS.com, CryptoArena.com, and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.
Garcia vs. Fortuna is a 12-round super lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Sampson Boxing.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
