Boxing: Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna | 17 July, 11 AM (PST)

[Mary C]

One rain check and a year after, Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna will go head-to-head in the ring after all.  

 

The original plan for this feisty pair was a match last July 2021. Garcia, however, withdrew due to his mental health. Now, it’s July 2022, and Garcia vs. Fortuna is finally about to happen. This 135 lbs fight is set for July 17th, at 11 AM (PST) at the Crypto.com Arena in LA. 

 

Following 23-year-old Garcia’s withdrawal, Garcia was set to fight Joseph Diaz Jr. in November but had to undergo surgery for a wrist injury. However, more recently this April, this American boxer won against Emmanuel Tagoe in a unanimous decision. He’s now on a feat for one of the toughest matches of his life if not the toughest. Fortuna is ESPN’s top 10th lightweight, and the 33-year-old Dominican can pack a punch— literally. Javier has a record of 37 wins (26 of which were knockouts), three draws, and one loss. He’s an aggressive and powerful left-hander, and it’s clear he has his eye out for Garcia.  

 

From Fortuna’s perspective, on the other hand, Garcia is a viable threat. Being ESPN's No. 6 lightweight, having a record of 22-0 (18 of which were knockouts), and youthful vitality, Garcia is a force to be reckoned with. If we’re being technical, Fortuna is the underdog as Garcia has a 100% win record and ranks higher in power rankings among lightweight boxers. Garcia is expected to prepare for this match with precision, granted that the Dominican opponent is older and has more years of experience in the field. Fortuna just needs to ensure that his aggressive, free-swinging ways won’t make him predictable to young gun Garcia.  

  

Nonetheless, the Garcia vs. Fortuna event is a decent and sizeable matchup on paper; both fighters are more or less of the same caliber, have great records, and have notable strengths. In the end, we’re seeing Garcia come on top for a few reasons. As much as Fortuna would love to taunt him with a knockout as Sunday draws nearer, his age is definitely a disadvantage now. He’s also considerably smaller than Garcia (5’9 ft) being 5’6 ft and a half. We can anticipate Garcia to be the one to put Fortuna to sleep this 17th, and it should be no problem unless he gets caught up with something major. 

 

11 AM, Sunday, July 17, 2022. Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA.