Ryan Garcia celebrated his second win as he maintains his comeback following a 15-month absence.
Garcia was away for more than a year after defeating Luke Campbell in January 2021 when he decided to step away from the sport with mental health problems. That layoff was extended when he had to undergo surgery to resolve a hand injury.
He returned to the ring earlier this year when he defeated Emmanuel Tagoe, but Javier Fortuna was seen as a step up in quality.
Garcia was unable to stop his Ghanaian opponent in his previous outing but sent Fortuna to the canvas three times, stopping him with a third and final knockdown in the sixth round.
Speaking to Chris Mannix on DAZN after the fight, Garcia reflected on what he considered to be a job well done.
“I know that I performed well for myself,” Garcia said.
“And I know that I was crisp, I was sharp and I stayed in my truth. I didn’t do anything crazy. I know how good of a fighter I am. I just had to put it all together and you seen that come together today. … I mean, the fight speaks for itself. I don’t need to say anything. You seen how I fought.”
The 23-year-old American explained how Fortuna had drawn a better performance from him than Tagoe.
“He hit hard,” he explained.
“He has a hard fist. I just told you when I face harder punchers, I box better.”