LOS ANGELES – Ryan Garcia gave Javier Fortuna the beating he promised Saturday night.
The hard-hitting lightweight contender dropped Fortuna three times – once apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds – on his way to a sixth-round knockout in a main event DAZN streamed from Crypto.com Arena. Referee Jerry Cantu counted out Fortuna after Garcia sent him to the canvas a third time with a left hook 19 seconds into the sixth round.
Their 12-round fight, which was contested at a 140-pound limit, was officially stopped at 27 seconds of round six.
The popular, polarizing Garcia, who was listed as a 15-1 favorite by Caesars Sportsbook, improved to 23-0 and recorded his 19th knockout by stopping the shorter, slower Fortuna.
“I know that I performed well for myself,” Garcia told DAZN’s Chris Mannix following his victory. “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 Dominican Republic’s Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs, 2 NC) lost by knockout or technical knockout for the second time since the 33-year-old southpaw made his pro debut in March 2009.
Before Garcia stopped him, only Jason Sosa had defeated Fortuna inside the distance. Sosa upset Fortuna by 11th-round TKO to win the WBA world super featherweight title from him in June 2016 in Beijing.
Garcia, 23, won his second fight in barely three months. He ended a 15-month layoff April 9, when the Victorville, California native defeated Emmanuel Tagoe by unanimous decision at Alamodome in San Antonio.
Garcia went 12 rounds for the first time against Ghana’s Tagoe (32-2, 15 KOs), who got up from a second-round knockdown to take Garcia the distance.
Garcia and Fortuna fought just over a year after they were first supposed to meet. Garcia withdrew from their fight, which was scheduled for last July 9, to address his mental health.
Joseph Diaz Jr. replaced Garcia and defeated Fortuna by unanimous decision that night at Banc of California Stadium, a short drive from Crypto.com Arena. Diaz won the then-vacant WBC interim lightweight title that Garcia owned before he pulled out of the Fortuna fight soon after it was announced.
Garcia, who fought for the second time with trainer Joe Goossen in his corner, didn’t need nearly 12 rounds to defeat Fortuna.
His right-left combination sent Fortuna to one knee with 2:41 to go in the sixth round. Cantu counted to 10 before Fortuna even tried to reach his feet again.
In the previous round, Garcia quickly caught Fortuna with a left hook that hurt him with just under 1:50 to go in it. Garcia’s shot sent Fortuna to the canvas briefly, though, for the second time in as many rounds.
Fortuna quickly got to his feet after that second knockdown in the fifth round and didn’t appear all that hurt for the remainder of the fifth round.
Garcia snuck a right hand around Fortuna’s guard a minute into the fourth round. Fortuna waved him forward, but Garcia made him pay.
A left hook to the body by Garcia sent Fortuna to one knee with 1:37 to go in the fourth round. Fortuna spit out his mouthpiece as he got to his feet, which bought him some extra time to recover because Cantu called for a break to wash it off.
Cantu warned Fortuna for spitting out his mouthpiece, but the veteran’s smart tactic had already served its purpose.
Fortuna’s left hand backed up Garcia with 45 seconds to go in the third round.
Garcia’s right hand caught Fortuna as he came forward just before the halfway point of the second round. Fortuna mostly missed his attempts in the second round.
Fortuna caught Garcia with a right hook to the side of his head with just under 1:40 to go in the opening round. About 30 seconds later, a straight left by Fortuna made Garcia hold him.
Garcia acknowledged afterward that he felt Fortuna’s power.
“He hit hard,” Garcia said. “He has a hard fist. I just told you when I face harder punchers, I box better.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.