Ryan Garcia is yearning for a bigger-name opponent to fight. It explains why Gervonta 'Tank' Davis has been such a talking point for Garcia, who has been seeking that clash with steady pressure.
Well, if Garcia (22-0, 18 KOs) wants to make good on that fight or secure another marquee name, he’s got to handle his business in a step up in competition against veteran Javier Fortuna (37-3-1, 26 KOs) this weekend first.
With the important matchup taking place from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday night, and live from DAZN, we list the keys to victory for each fighter.
Javier Fortuna’s keys to victory
Be the awkward fighter he is
Being awkward can be a good thing in boxing if said awkward boxer is able to make an opponent fight his type of fight. That’s what Fortuna is — an awkward fighter. And the Dominican southpaw has got to be able to use that awkwardness to have a chance in this bout. He has to utilize his veteran savvy in the form of having nearly doubled Garcia in the amount of pro bout experience (41 to Garcia’s 22) to make “King Ry” fight his kind of awkward bout.
Sully up the fight
Fortuna has a tendency to bend at the waist low, almost in a crouch position, as he looks for his offense. Sometimes he even puts both gloves in front of his face as he encroaches. The 33-year-old could be aided by this movement as part of a two-pronged effort. For starters, he cannot afford to sit on the outside and get picked apart by the quicker, taller, and younger Garcia. In addition, Fortuna’s awkward movement could help him get inside, negate Garcia’s reach and sully up the fight by making it a slower pace. Resorting to clinches can produce opportune moments to land shots for the Dominican fighter.
Catch Garcia slipping
As quick and sharp of a fighter as Garcia is, he has a tendency to fall into a lull at times where he’s too upright, exposing too much of his chin. A bit of inside pressure from Fortuna could lead to him possibly catching Garcia in such a state. It’s up to Fortuna to detect that moment and make Garcia pay with a power shot that he doesn’t see coming. That’s precisely what Luke Campbell did in his January 2021 bout with Garcia. He prodded and poked away with a right-handed jab before unloading and catching an unsuspecting Garcia sleeping with a heavy-handed left hook wrapped around the guard and landing right on the chin. The shot put Garcia on his backside in a surprising moment.
Ryan Garcia’s keys to victory
Lean on speed with lead jab
Speed kills and Garcia uses quickness on his lead jab about as good as anyone in boxing. The shot is fired crisply and accurately. With a nearly four-inch height advantage and slight reach edge, Garcia has to lean on that lead jab early to immediately set a tone and let Fortuna know that he’s not going to be able to drag the 23-year-old into the mud in a sullied fight.
Slicing combinations ending with the left hook
That quick, piercing jab should naturally lead to Garcia putting together combinations. And piecing combinations together is something that Garcia also does exceptionally well, as they package rapid speed and unforgiving power. Garcia’s ability to turn that lead jab into multiple-punch combinations can pave the way toward it being a fast night of business for “King Ry.”
Ambition to put Fortuna away
Look, there’s no doubting Ryan Garcia’s talent. He’s one of boxing’s brightest 25-and-under stars, period. But if he’s going to call out a knockout artist like 'Tank' Davis fight in and fight out, he must respond accordingly. When Davis had his knockout streak snapped with a unanimous decision win over Isaac Cruz in December, he responded with a sensational sixth-round TKO of Rolando Romero in May. Garcia was seated ringside at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to witness it.
Now, Garcia had his own KO streak dashed in a unanimous decision win over Emmanuel Tagoe in April. What better way to respond than with a highlight KO of his own? That would give Garcia momentum for the subsequent callout of Davis. Or at the very least, inch him closer to another big-name opponent.