Tag: Roger Gutierrez

Hector Luis Garcia has biggest opportunity – and challenge – yet against Gervonta Davis

Hector Luis Garcia has his biggest opportunity – and challenge – yet against Gervonta Davis on pay-per-view Saturday.

Can Hector Luis Garcia do it again?

The Dominican stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing rising star Chris Colbert in February and then did the same against Roger Gutierrez to win a 130-pound title in August, completing a breakthrough year for the 2016 Olympian.

He faces an even bigger challenge at 135-pounds on pay-per-view Saturday in Washington, D.C.: Gervonta Davis.

“Davis in my opinion is a top pound-for-pound fighter and one of the biggest punchers in boxing, so I know going into this fight that I’m an underdog,” Garcia said. “Not a lot of people are giving me a chance in this fight, but that’s what motivates me. I was in the same situation going into the Colbert fight, but this time I had a real training camp.

“I believe my style will give ‘Tank’ problems. I’m a southpaw with many tricks, and I will be using all of them when I step in the ring on January 7.”

Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) will have to use all of them against Davis, who is a significant step up from Colbert.

Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) is one of the best boxers in the world and a knockout artist. The latter can’t be said for Colbert, who didn’t have the punching power to give the hard-charging Garcia a reason to back off.

Plus, Garcia will be moving up in weight for the fight. He fought at 126 as recently as December 2020.

That’s why Garcia is around a 10-1 underdog (average of multiple betting outlets). And it’s why a victory would be all the more meaningful for the 31-year-old.

If Garcia has his hand raised Saturday, he will have transitioned from a relative unknown to a two-division champion and conqueror of one of the sport’s biggest stars in a span of only three fights.

“A victory against ‘Tank’ will solidify me as one of the best fighters in the world,” Garcia said. “I already believe that in my own mind, but the world will realize how good I am after this fight. I didn’t get here by myself. I want to thank my team for all their support.

“Getting this fight has changed my life forever, but winning it will do wonders for everyone on my team.”

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Hector Luis Garcia has biggest opportunity – and challenge – yet against Gervonta Davis

Hector Luis Garcia has his biggest opportunity – and challenge – yet against Gervonta Davis on pay-per-view Saturday.

Can Hector Luis Garcia do it again?

The Dominican stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing rising star Chris Colbert in February and then did the same against Roger Gutierrez to win a 130-pound title in August, completing a breakthrough year for the 2016 Olympian.

He faces an even bigger challenge at 135-pounds on pay-per-view Saturday in Washington, D.C.: Gervonta Davis.

“Davis in my opinion is a top pound-for-pound fighter and one of the biggest punchers in boxing, so I know going into this fight that I’m an underdog,” Garcia said. “Not a lot of people are giving me a chance in this fight, but that’s what motivates me. I was in the same situation going into the Colbert fight, but this time I had a real training camp.

“I believe my style will give ‘Tank’ problems. I’m a southpaw with many tricks, and I will be using all of them when I step in the ring on January 7.”

Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) will have to use all of them against Davis, who is a significant step up from Colbert.

Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) is one of the best boxers in the world and a knockout artist. The latter can’t be said for Colbert, who didn’t have the punching power to give the hard-charging Garcia a reason to back off.

Plus, Garcia will be moving up in weight for the fight. He fought at 126 as recently as December 2020.

That’s why Garcia is around a 10-1 underdog (average of multiple betting outlets). And it’s why a victory would be all the more meaningful for the 31-year-old.

If Garcia has his hand raised Saturday, he will have transitioned from a relative unknown to a two-division champion and conqueror of one of the sport’s biggest stars in a span of only three fights.

“A victory against ‘Tank’ will solidify me as one of the best fighters in the world,” Garcia said. “I already believe that in my own mind, but the world will realize how good I am after this fight. I didn’t get here by myself. I want to thank my team for all their support.

“Getting this fight has changed my life forever, but winning it will do wonders for everyone on my team.”

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Hector Garcia defeats Roger Gutierrez by unanimous decision to win 130-pound title

Hector Garcia defeated Roger Gutierrez by a unanimous decision to take Gutierrez’s 130-pound title Saturday in Hollywood, Florida.

Hector Garcia has come a long way in two fights.

Six months ago, before he upset rising star Chris Colbert, the 30-year-old Dominican was a relative unknown. Now, after taking Roger Gutierrez’s WBA 130-pound title by a unanimous decision on the Omar Figueroa Jr.-Sergey Lipinets card Saturday in Hollywood, Florida, he’s a major figure in the sport.

The official scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112 for Garcia, eight rounds to four.

“It means a lot to me to win this title,” Garcia said. “I dedicate it to my people, the entire Dominican Republic and my town, San Juan de la Maguana. In the pros, nobody knew me. But in the amateurs, people knew my name. I went to the Olympics; it was my dream. I had a good run.”

Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) dominated the first eight-plus rounds of the bout, fighting behind his jab and outworking a strangely inactive Gutierrez (26-4-1, 20 KOs).

Gutierrez, making his second title defense, picked up his pace in the ninth round in an effort to get back into the fight, which made the final rounds entertaining.

However, he stepped on the gas too late. All three judges gave the first nine rounds to Garcia, meaning Gutierrez would’ve had to score multiple knockdowns or a knockout to win the fight.

“[Gutierrez] was looking for the right punch to take me down, but I was able to dominate, dictate the pace of the fight and get the win,” Garcia said.

Garcia’s fought for the Dominican Republic in the 2016 Olympics, which had been his biggest accomplishment. That changed on Saturday.

Hector Garcia defeats Roger Gutierrez by unanimous decision to win 130-pound title

Hector Garcia defeated Roger Gutierrez by a unanimous decision to take Gutierrez’s 130-pound title Saturday in Hollywood, Florida.

Hector Garcia has come a long way in two fights.

Six months ago, before he upset rising star Chris Colbert, the 30-year-old Dominican was a relative unknown. Now, after taking Roger Gutierrez’s WBA 130-pound title by a unanimous decision on the Omar Figueroa Jr.-Sergey Lipinets card Saturday in Hollywood, Florida, he’s a major figure in the sport.

The official scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112 for Garcia, eight rounds to four.

“It means a lot to me to win this title,” Garcia said. “I dedicate it to my people, the entire Dominican Republic and my town, San Juan de la Maguana. In the pros, nobody knew me. But in the amateurs, people knew my name. I went to the Olympics; it was my dream. I had a good run.”

Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) dominated the first eight-plus rounds of the bout, fighting behind his jab and outworking a strangely inactive Gutierrez (26-4-1, 20 KOs).

Gutierrez, making his second title defense, picked up his pace in the ninth round in an effort to get back into the fight, which made the final rounds entertaining.

However, he stepped on the gas too late. All three judges gave the first nine rounds to Garcia, meaning Gutierrez would’ve had to score multiple knockdowns or a knockout to win the fight.

“[Gutierrez] was looking for the right punch to take me down, but I was able to dominate, dictate the pace of the fight and get the win,” Garcia said.

Garcia’s fought for the Dominican Republic in the 2016 Olympics, which had been his biggest accomplishment. That changed on Saturday.

Video and photos: Omar Figueroa Jr. vs. Sergey Lipinets weigh-in

Photos: Omar Figueroa Jr. vs. Sergey Lipinets weigh-in.

Omar Figueroa and Sergey Lipinets on Friday made weight for their junior welterweight fight Saturday in Hollywood, Florida (Showtime).

Both fighters weighed 139.75 pounds, .25 below the division limit.

The fight is being billed as a WBC title eliminator.

Also on the card:

  • Alberto Puello (139.5) vs. Batyr Akhmedov (139.75), junior welterweights (for the vacant WBA title).
  • Roger Gutierrez (130) vs. Hector Garcia, junior lightweights (for Gutierrez’s WBA title).
  • Brandun Lee (142.75) vs. Will Madera (142.5), junior welterweights.

Here are image of the weigh-in. All photos by Esther Lin of Showtime.

Hector Luis Garcia stuns Chris Colbert, boxing world with easy victory

Hector Luis Garcia stunned Chris Colbert and the boxing world by winning a wide decision Saturday in Las Vegas.

Let’s welcome Hector Luis Garcia. He could be around for a while.

The Dominican had his coming out on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where he dominated hot, unbeaten junior lightweight prospect Chris Colbert en route to a stunning unanimous decision.

The scores were 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. Boxing Junkie also had it 118-109 for Garcia, who is now in position to challenge WBA titleholder Roger Gutierrez.

Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) took the fight on three weeks notice after Colbert’s original opponent, Gutierrez, pulled out because he tested positive for COVID-19.

The 30-year-old from San Juan de la Maguana competed in the 2016 Olympics but was largely a question mark going into the fight at The Cosmopolitan.

Now we know what Garcia is all about. He walked down the quick, skillful Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) from the beginning of the fight, landing hard, accurate combinations almost at will and taking everything thrown back at him.

Colbert had some positive moments early in the fight, using his speed and movement to connect on some eye-catching shots. However, that didn’t deter Garcia, who continued to march forward and do damage round after round.

One of Colbert’s many problems was his relative lack of power. A punishing blow or two at opportune times might’ve slowed Garcia down but Colbert isn’t a big puncher. Plus, it appears that Garcia has a rock-solid chin.

The biggest shot of the night came in Round 7, when Colbert walked into a counter left and fell flat on his back about two minutes into the action. He survived but his mission became that much more difficult.

Colbert, aware that he needed to deliver something big to turn the tide, tried to land that big shot over the next few rounds but failed. Then, obviously accepting his fate, he danced in the final few rounds to avoid taking undue punishment.

Garcia had said beforehand that he saw nothing special in Colbert. He looked like a prophet after the fact.

And he did it without head trainer Ismael Salas, who was in Scotland to work the corner of Robeisy Ramirez.

“When I was told three weeks ago that I was going to take this fight, I saw that it was going to change my life,” he said through a translator. “So I needed to come in my best shape.

“I want to give a lot of credit to the professor, Ismael Salas, who gave me the confidence, ‘You can win this fight.'”

The fight was billed as a title eliminator, which means that Garcia is first in line to face Gutierrez. And that’s exactly what he wants.

“Definitely, I want to fight Gutierrez for the world championship,” he said. “I worked too hard to get into this position today, so I definitely want to fight Gutierrez.”

What could Colbert say afterward? Not much. He said he doesn’t believe he was at his best but offered no excuses.

“Tonight he was just the better man,” he said. “I’m going to take my defeats the way I take my [victories], as a man. I’m going to keep my head up. And I want to run it back. Let’s do it again.”

He went on: “Everybody puts pressure on me. That was nothing new. Today I just wasn’t myself.”

Colbert was also asked why he shifted into survival mode in the final few rounds, which gave him no chance to score a late knockout and preserve his then-perfect record.

He saw no point in taking the risk.

“Like I said I wasn’t feeling myself tonight,” he said. “So I wasn’t going to go in there and do something stupid and get caught with no dumb shot.”

Colbert will be criticized for his late-fight actions by the fans, who expect their fighters to go down swinging. At the same time, everyone who watched that bout will at least have understood his thought process.

This was Garcia’s night.

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Hector Luis Garcia stuns Chris Colbert, boxing world with easy victory

Hector Luis Garcia stunned Chris Colbert and the boxing world by winning a wide decision Saturday in Las Vegas.

Let’s welcome Hector Luis Garcia. He could be around for a while.

The Dominican had his coming out on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where he dominated hot, unbeaten junior lightweight prospect Chris Colbert en route to a stunning unanimous decision.

The scores were 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. Boxing Junkie also had it 118-109 for Garcia, who is now in position to challenge WBA titleholder Roger Gutierrez.

Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) took the fight on three weeks notice after Colbert’s original opponent, Gutierrez, pulled out because he tested positive for COVID-19.

The 30-year-old from San Juan de la Maguana competed in the 2016 Olympics but was largely a question mark going into the fight at The Cosmopolitan.

Now we know what Garcia is all about. He walked down the quick, skillful Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) from the beginning of the fight, landing hard, accurate combinations almost at will and taking everything thrown back at him.

Colbert had some positive moments early in the fight, using his speed and movement to connect on some eye-catching shots. However, that didn’t deter Garcia, who continued to march forward and do damage round after round.

One of Colbert’s many problems was his relative lack of power. A punishing blow or two at opportune times might’ve slowed Garcia down but Colbert isn’t a big puncher. Plus, it appears that Garcia has a rock-solid chin.

The biggest shot of the night came in Round 7, when Colbert walked into a counter left and fell flat on his back about two minutes into the action. He survived but his mission became that much more difficult.

Colbert, aware that he needed to deliver something big to turn the tide, tried to land that big shot over the next few rounds but failed. Then, obviously accepting his fate, he danced in the final few rounds to avoid taking undue punishment.

Garcia had said beforehand that he saw nothing special in Colbert. He looked like a prophet after the fact.

And he did it without head trainer Ismael Salas, who was in Scotland to work the corner of Robeisy Ramirez.

“When I was told three weeks ago that I was going to take this fight, I saw that it was going to change my life,” he said through a translator. “So I needed to come in my best shape.

“I want to give a lot of credit to the professor, Ismael Salas, who gave me the confidence, ‘You can win this fight.'”

The fight was billed as a title eliminator, which means that Garcia is first in line to face Gutierrez. And that’s exactly what he wants.

“Definitely, I want to fight Gutierrez for the world championship,” he said. “I worked too hard to get into this position today, so I definitely want to fight Gutierrez.”

What could Colbert say afterward? Not much. He said he doesn’t believe he was at his best but offered no excuses.

“Tonight he was just the better man,” he said. “I’m going to take my defeats the way I take my [victories], as a man. I’m going to keep my head up. And I want to run it back. Let’s do it again.”

He went on: “Everybody puts pressure on me. That was nothing new. Today I just wasn’t myself.”

Colbert was also asked why he shifted into survival mode in the final few rounds, which gave him no chance to score a late knockout and preserve his then-perfect record.

He saw no point in taking the risk.

“Like I said I wasn’t feeling myself tonight,” he said. “So I wasn’t going to go in there and do something stupid and get caught with no dumb shot.”

Colbert will be criticized for his late-fight actions by the fans, who expect their fighters to go down swinging. At the same time, everyone who watched that bout will at least have understood his thought process.

This was Garcia’s night.

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Roger Gutierrez drops Rene Alvarado three times, wins decision

Roger Gutierrez dropped Rene Alvarado three times and defeating him by a unanimous decision Saturday in Dallas.

Roger Gutierrez used big rounds to get past Rene Alvarado on the Ryan Garcia-Luke Campbell card Saturday in Dallas.

Gutierrez lost seven of 12 rounds but put his rival down three times to win a unanimous decision — 113-112 on all three cards — in a competitive junior lightweight bout. Boxing Junkie also scored it 113-112 for Gutierrez.

Gutierrez (25-3-1, 20 KOs) landed the decisive blow in the final round, when a short left hook to the chin put Alvarado (32-9, 21 KOs) down for a third time.

That gave the Venezuelan a 10-8 round, which was the difference in the scoring.

Gutierrez, who was stopped by Alvarado in 2017, had a huge third round. A right uppercut about 30 seconds into the round put Alvarado on the canvas. Moments later a straight put him down again.

At that point, Alvarado seemed to be on the verge of being stopped but, as Gutierrez slowed down, he was able to recover and land his own shots late in the round.

The rest of the fight was difficult to score, although Alvarado seemed to be somewhat busier and landed a few more clean shots.

Thus, the result was up in the air as the bell rang to start the final round. And Gutierrez seized the moment, scoring his knockdown to secure the victory.

Gutierrez took a secondary 130-pound title from Alvarado with the victory.

Alvarado’s twin brother, Felix, stopped Dee-jay Kriel in the preceding fight.

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Roger Gutierrez drops Rene Alvarado three times, wins decision

Roger Gutierrez dropped Rene Alvarado three times and defeating him by a unanimous decision Saturday in Dallas.

Roger Gutierrez used big rounds to get past Rene Alvarado on the Ryan Garcia-Luke Campbell card Saturday in Dallas.

Gutierrez lost seven of 12 rounds but put his rival down three times to win a unanimous decision — 113-112 on all three cards — in a competitive junior lightweight bout. Boxing Junkie also scored it 113-112 for Gutierrez.

Gutierrez (25-3-1, 20 KOs) landed the decisive blow in the final round, when a short left hook to the chin put Alvarado (32-9, 21 KOs) down for a third time.

That gave the Venezuelan a 10-8 round, which was the difference in the scoring.

Gutierrez, who was stopped by Alvarado in 2017, had a huge third round. A right uppercut about 30 seconds into the round put Alvarado on the canvas. Moments later a straight put him down again.

At that point, Alvarado seemed to be on the verge of being stopped but, as Gutierrez slowed down, he was able to recover and land his own shots late in the round.

The rest of the fight was difficult to score, although Alvarado seemed to be somewhat busier and landed a few more clean shots.

Thus, the result was up in the air as the bell rang to start the final round. And Gutierrez seized the moment, scoring his knockdown to secure the victory.

Gutierrez took a secondary 130-pound title from Alvarado with the victory.

Alvarado’s twin brother, Felix, stopped Dee-jay Kriel in the preceding fight.

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Diego De La Hoya gets back to his winning ways in Mexico

Junior featherweight contender Diego De La Hoya easily outpointed Renson Robles in a 10-round bout Saturday in Mexicali, Mexico.

There’s nothing like fighting a so-so opponent at home to get going in the right direction.

Junior featherweight contender Diego De La Hoya, coming off the first loss of his career, easily outpointed Renson Robles in a 10-round bout Saturday in Mexicali, Mexico, De La Hoya’s hometown.

And he apparently did it with one hand.

“It was a difficult fight because I hurt my left hand in the second round,” De La Hoya said. “I had to fight the entire fight with one hand. Still, I came to fight, and I never gave up.”

The scores were 97-94, 99-89 and 99-89.

Ronny Rios stopped De La Hoya (21-1, 10 KOs) in six rounds on the Rey Vargas-Tomoki Kameda card in July at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Robles (16-6, 9 KOs), from Venezuela, is now 4-5 in his last nine fights.

In the co-feature, Venezuelan Roger Gutierrez (24-3-1, 19 KOs) defeated Andres Tapia (16-8-3, 9 KOs) of Mexico by a unanimous decision in a 10-round junior lightweight fight.

And unbeaten Mexican William Zepeda (20-0, 18 KOs) stopped Jampier Oses (15-6-1, 12 KOs) of Venezuela at 2:32 of the third round of a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.