Prior to fighting Sergey Kovalev, Canelo Álvarez observed, 'It’s a challenge. But I won’t know how big a challenge until I get in the ring with him.' By Thomas Hauser
Ryan Garcia gets up from the canvas to knock out Luke Campbell with a savage body blow
Ryan Garcia shows he s worthy of the boxing world s attention as he becomes the first to stop Luke Campbell
RYAN GARCIA is among the most influential boxers thanks to his ginormous digital following. When he dropped Luke Campbell for the count in round seven of their thrilling showdown in Dallas he also became one of the best lightweights in the world. The rip-roaring left hook to the body that finished the fight will be seen myriad times on his social media channels.
It ended a dramatic fight in an instant. It exhibited more about him as a boxer than his million upon million of Instagram followers ever could. What came before told us plenty about Garcia, too.
Before he displayed his resilience by recovering from an early knockdown, before he demonstrated the extent of his power by stopping a world-class opponent with a punch to the midsection, Ryan Garcia proved he was willing.
The evidence was in his choice of opponent on Saturday night, a crafty southpaw named Luke Campbell.
Or his previously scheduled opponent, former champion Jorge Linares.
Or the fellow prospect he knocked out last year, Romero Duno.
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Much of the conversation around the 22-year-old lightweight from Victorville has centered on his boy-band looks, and rightfully so.
His massive social media following separates him from other fighters. But his boldness in the ring is what has forced the industry to view him as a serious prospect.