Oscar De La Hoya said that Ryan Garcia ‘became a man’ in his victory over Luke Campbell on Saturday.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on DAZN.com.
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Ryan Garcia’s seventh-round knockout of Luke Campbell on Saturday convinced a lot of doubters that “King Ry” is a bona fide member of a stacked division.
The fact Garcia had to weather a surprising knockdown in Round 2 — the first of his career — made the victory over Campbell all the more impressive, although it gave his team a huge fright.
Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, admitted afterward that the shots his man sustained were as vital to his progress as the pulverizing shot to Campbell’s liver that won the contest.
“It was like a flash knockdown, right? But it was a scary flash knockdown,” De La Hoya said. “And he became a man. That’s all there is to it. He became a man tonight. He needed this fight for validation. He needed this fight to prove to the boxing world that he belongs in there. And he passed with flying colors.
“He did what every great champion does, get right back up, especially from a really vicious [left] hook, it was a vicious [left] hook.”
[lawrence-related id=16950,16940,16907]
So how did De La Hoya rate Garcia’s performance? “A-plus, A-plus,” he said. “He did what he had to do. He took his time, he went after him when he had him hurt in [the sixth round]. People went crazy, and that’s the making of a superstar.”
The victory made Garcia the mandatory challenger to Devin Haney’s secondary title. However. De La Hoya was careful not to commit to anything just yet.
“Yeah, we could possibly see that happen when we’re ready, when Ryan is ready,” De La Hoya said. “Obviously Ryan is ready to face anybody, that’s never a doubt. But it’s gonna be on our terms. …
“And it doesn’t mean business or this and that. No, when he’s ready, when he wants to. Every champion out there needs Ryan Garcia. It’s not the other way around.”
Oscar De La Hoya said that Ryan Garcia ‘became a man’ in his victory over Luke Campbell on Saturday.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on DAZN.com.
***
Ryan Garcia’s seventh-round knockout of Luke Campbell on Saturday convinced a lot of doubters that “King Ry” is a bona fide member of a stacked division.
The fact Garcia had to weather a surprising knockdown in Round 2 — the first of his career — made the victory over Campbell all the more impressive, although it gave his team a huge fright.
Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, admitted afterward that the shots his man sustained were as vital to his progress as the pulverizing shot to Campbell’s liver that won the contest.
“It was like a flash knockdown, right? But it was a scary flash knockdown,” De La Hoya said. “And he became a man. That’s all there is to it. He became a man tonight. He needed this fight for validation. He needed this fight to prove to the boxing world that he belongs in there. And he passed with flying colors.
“He did what every great champion does, get right back up, especially from a really vicious [left] hook, it was a vicious [left] hook.”
[lawrence-related id=16950,16940,16907]
So how did De La Hoya rate Garcia’s performance? “A-plus, A-plus,” he said. “He did what he had to do. He took his time, he went after him when he had him hurt in [the sixth round]. People went crazy, and that’s the making of a superstar.”
The victory made Garcia the mandatory challenger to Devin Haney’s secondary title. However. De La Hoya was careful not to commit to anything just yet.
“Yeah, we could possibly see that happen when we’re ready, when Ryan is ready,” De La Hoya said. “Obviously Ryan is ready to face anybody, that’s never a doubt. But it’s gonna be on our terms. …
“And it doesn’t mean business or this and that. No, when he’s ready, when he wants to. Every champion out there needs Ryan Garcia. It’s not the other way around.”
Luke Campbell said the body shot from Ryan Garcia that stopped him ‘was the hardest shot I was ever hit with.’
Want to know how hard Ryan Garcia’s body shot was on Saturday? Let the man who took the blow tell you.
Luke Campbell is a former Olympic champion who has faced a number of top professionals in his seven-plus-year career. And he had never encountered any quite like what he faced at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Briton was stopped by a left hook to the gut at 1:58 of Round 7, the first time he hasn’t heard the final bell.
“He’s very heavy handed,” Campbell said. “Even when I was blocking the shots, I could feel them. That was the hardest shot I was ever hit with. I tried and tried to get up, but I couldn’t. I felt him coming on, and I was moving back. And when I moved back, my body relaxed a little bit and that’s the exact time he hit me.”
Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) has now lost the three biggest fights in his career, competitive decisions in titles fights against Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko and now the setback against Garcia.
And he’s 33 years old. You wonder how many more opportunities he will receive.
“I’m honestly heartbroken,” Campbell posted on Instagram. “I really wanted to bring the win back for you all. I’m sorry for that. I hope you all enjoyed the fight. Have to take my hat off to [Ryan Garcia], well done and a massive future ahead for him. I wish him all the best.”
Luke Campbell said the body shot from Ryan Garcia that stopped him ‘was the hardest shot I was ever hit with.’
Want to know how hard Ryan Garcia’s body shot was on Saturday? Let the man who took the blow tell you.
Luke Campbell is a former Olympic champion who has faced a number of top professionals in his seven-plus-year career. And he had never encountered any quite like what he faced at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Briton was stopped by a left hook to the gut at 1:58 of Round 7, the first time he hasn’t heard the final bell.
“He’s very heavy handed,” Campbell said. “Even when I was blocking the shots, I could feel them. That was the hardest shot I was ever hit with. I tried and tried to get up, but I couldn’t. I felt him coming on, and I was moving back. And when I moved back, my body relaxed a little bit and that’s the exact time he hit me.”
Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) has now lost the three biggest fights in his career, competitive decisions in titles fights against Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko and now the setback against Garcia.
And he’s 33 years old. You wonder how many more opportunities he will receive.
“I’m honestly heartbroken,” Campbell posted on Instagram. “I really wanted to bring the win back for you all. I’m sorry for that. I hope you all enjoyed the fight. Have to take my hat off to [Ryan Garcia], well done and a massive future ahead for him. I wish him all the best.”
Watch it: Ryan Garcia’s knockout shot to Luke Campbell’s body.
Ryan Garcia needed just one well-placed punch to the body to stop Luke Cambell on Saturday in Dallas.
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) landed the punch midway through Round 7 of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout. Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) was in too much pain to rise before the count of 10.
The official ending came at 1:58.
Garcia went down himself — the knockdown of his career — from a big left hand in the second round but overcame the adversity to record the biggest victory in his young career.
Here are the highlights:
Ryan Garcia switched gears mid-fight and made a STATEMENT tonight 😤
Watch it: Ryan Garcia’s knockout shot to Luke Campbell’s body.
Ryan Garcia needed just one well-placed punch to the body to stop Luke Cambell on Saturday in Dallas.
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) landed the punch midway through Round 7 of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout. Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) was in too much pain to rise before the count of 10.
The official ending came at 1:58.
Garcia went down himself — the knockdown of his career — from a big left hand in the second round but overcame the adversity to record the biggest victory in his young career.
Here are the highlights:
Ryan Garcia switched gears mid-fight and made a STATEMENT tonight 😤
Ryan Garcia got up from a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round Saturday in Dallas.
Ryan Garcia answered the important questions.
“King Ryan” got up from a second-round knockdown – the first of his career – to stop Luke Campbell with a left hook to the liver in the seventh round of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout Saturday night at America Airlines Center in Dallas.
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) entered the fight with a tremendous following. Now, after overcoming adversity and beating an elite foe for the first time, he has the substance to go along with it.
And he can say he one-upped former champions Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko, both of whom defeated the seasoned 2012 Olympic champion form England in title fights but were unable to stop him.
“I think I showed a lot of people who I am,” Garcia said afterward.
Luke Campbell (left) put Ryan Garcia down with a left in Round 2. Tim Warner / Getty Images
Garcia has been the subject of considerable hype and the pressure that goes with that, particularly for a 22-year-old with limited experience. He has around 8 million followers on Instagram and a string of impressive victories. However, his opponents had been obscure.
That led everyone to ask: “Can he do the same thing against a legitimate threat like Campbell?”
Well, for a few dramatic seconds in the second round, the answer appeared as if it might be “no.” Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) about halfway through the round landed a perfect left hook to the chin, which knocked Garcia down and onto his side.
Garcia said afterward that he was “dizzy” as a result of the shot but he didn’t look it. He got up, weathered a tame effort from Campbell to the finish the job and was in good shape when the bell rang.
Garcia (left) was the aggressor from the third round on. Tim Warner / Getty Images
“I wasn’t going to let anything stop me,” Garcia said. “Even when he dropped me … I got up. It was a good shot. I was cold and he dropped me. I was like, ‘I got dropped. This is crazy.’ I never got dropped in my life. I think I got a little too excited in the moment. I just felt like I could crack him but he cracked me. So I had to adjust and say, ‘OK. I have to calm down.’
“I knew I could beat him. I just had to get right back up and show everybody what a warrior really is.”
Garcia, still confident, was the aggressor from the third round on. He threw power shot after power shot in a controlled manner. Most were blocked by Campbell, a capable boxer, or missed the mark but some got through.
Meanwhile, Campbell boxed well on his back foot. Jabbing to the head and body, countering Garcia effectively at times and landing some heavy shots to the body.
Garcia seemed to stun Campbell in the final seconds of Round 5, when he landed a left hook to the temple. However, he seemed to recover quickly and held his own in the following round and early in Round 7.
Campbell couldn’t overcome the pain and was counted out. Tim Warner / Getty Images
The end came suddenly. Campbell evidently was bracing for a left hook to the head but Garcia crossed him up and directed it to his body. It landed directly on his liver, which put him down on one knee and then all fours as he tried to make sense of the pain.
He simply was hurting too badly to beat the count of 10 and the fight was over. The official was 1:58.
The moment Garcia realized he had recorded his biggest victory he broke into tears. Perhaps it was the break-through he had just orchestrated. Perhaps it was the “interim” belt he won. Perhaps it was the pressure dissipating into the ether.
It was probably all of the above. After he got past his emotional moment, he jumped into the arms of everyone in the ring who is close to him. That included stablemate Canelo Alvarez.
“I fought a gold medalist,” Garcia said. “… Pound-for-pound at the time Lomachenko couldn’t stop him. Linares dropped him but couldn’t finish him. I showed today that I’m special.”
Garcia was emotional after his break-through victory. Tim Warner / Getty Images
If Garcia had a bright future before the fight on Saturday, now it’s blinding.
Who’s next? It’s clear he wants Gervonta Davis, the big-punching 130-pound titleholder who also holds a secondary 135-pound belt. He and Garcia have called each other out. Garcia’s also open to fighting another secondary titleholder, Devin Haney, who was in the arena in Dallas.
“One thing is that I’m a man of my word,” Garcia said and then began to bellow. “Let’s go Tank! Let’s go Tank! I’m ready! Let’s go!” He then stopped and added, “I see you Devin. … I want to fight him too. I want to fight everybody.”
And they’re going to want to fight him more than ever after Saturday night.
Ryan Garcia got up from a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round Saturday in Dallas.
Ryan Garcia answered the important questions.
“King Ryan” got up from a second-round knockdown – the first of his career – to stop Luke Campbell with a left hook to the liver in the seventh round of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout Saturday night at America Airlines Center in Dallas.
Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) entered the fight with a tremendous following. Now, after overcoming adversity and beating an elite foe for the first time, he has the substance to go along with it.
And he can say he one-upped former champions Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko, both of whom defeated the seasoned 2012 Olympic champion form England in title fights but were unable to stop him.
“I think I showed a lot of people who I am,” Garcia said afterward.
Luke Campbell (left) put Ryan Garcia down with a left in Round 2. Tim Warner / Getty Images
Garcia has been the subject of considerable hype and the pressure that goes with that, particularly for a 22-year-old with limited experience. He has around 8 million followers on Instagram and a string of impressive victories. However, his opponents had been obscure.
That led everyone to ask: “Can he do the same thing against a legitimate threat like Campbell?”
Well, for a few dramatic seconds in the second round, the answer appeared as if it might be “no.” Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) about halfway through the round landed a perfect left hook to the chin, which knocked Garcia down and onto his side.
Garcia said afterward that he was “dizzy” as a result of the shot but he didn’t look it. He got up, weathered a tame effort from Campbell to the finish the job and was in good shape when the bell rang.
Garcia (left) was the aggressor from the third round on. Tim Warner / Getty Images
“I wasn’t going to let anything stop me,” Garcia said. “Even when he dropped me … I got up. It was a good shot. I was cold and he dropped me. I was like, ‘I got dropped. This is crazy.’ I never got dropped in my life. I think I got a little too excited in the moment. I just felt like I could crack him but he cracked me. So I had to adjust and say, ‘OK. I have to calm down.’
“I knew I could beat him. I just had to get right back up and show everybody what a warrior really is.”
Garcia, still confident, was the aggressor from the third round on. He threw power shot after power shot in a controlled manner. Most were blocked by Campbell, a capable boxer, or missed the mark but some got through.
Meanwhile, Campbell boxed well on his back foot. Jabbing to the head and body, countering Garcia effectively at times and landing some heavy shots to the body.
Garcia seemed to stun Campbell in the final seconds of Round 5, when he landed a left hook to the temple. However, he seemed to recover quickly and held his own in the following round and early in Round 7.
Campbell couldn’t overcome the pain and was counted out. Tim Warner / Getty Images
The end came suddenly. Campbell evidently was bracing for a left hook to the head but Garcia crossed him up and directed it to his body. It landed directly on his liver, which put him down on one knee and then all fours as he tried to make sense of the pain.
He simply was hurting too badly to beat the count of 10 and the fight was over. The official was 1:58.
The moment Garcia realized he had recorded his biggest victory he broke into tears. Perhaps it was the break-through he had just orchestrated. Perhaps it was the “interim” belt he won. Perhaps it was the pressure dissipating into the ether.
It was probably all of the above. After he got past his emotional moment, he jumped into the arms of everyone in the ring who is close to him. That included stablemate Canelo Alvarez.
“I fought a gold medalist,” Garcia said. “… Pound-for-pound at the time Lomachenko couldn’t stop him. Linares dropped him but couldn’t finish him. I showed today that I’m special.”
Garcia was emotional after his break-through victory. Tim Warner / Getty Images
If Garcia had a bright future before the fight on Saturday, now it’s blinding.
Who’s next? It’s clear he wants Gervonta Davis, the big-punching 130-pound titleholder who also holds a secondary 135-pound belt. He and Garcia have called each other out. Garcia’s also open to fighting another secondary titleholder, Devin Haney, who was in the arena in Dallas.
“One thing is that I’m a man of my word,” Garcia said and then began to bellow. “Let’s go Tank! Let’s go Tank! I’m ready! Let’s go!” He then stopped and added, “I see you Devin. … I want to fight him too. I want to fight everybody.”
And they’re going to want to fight him more than ever after Saturday night.
Ryan Garcia, the 22-year-old rising young star from California, faces veteran Luke Campbell in the biggest test of his career on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas. What sort of statement must Garcia make against his capable …
Ryan Garcia, the 22-year-old rising young star from California, faces veteran Luke Campbell in the biggest test of his career on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
What sort of statement must Garcia make against his capable British opponent in the scheduled 12-round lightweight bout to take the next step in his career?
In this episode of the Ak & Barak Show, DAZN commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess discuss that issue and much more.
Here’s what Reyes and Bess had to say.
The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.
Ryan Garcia, the 22-year-old rising young star from California, faces veteran Luke Campbell in the biggest test of his career on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas. What sort of statement must Garcia make against his capable …
Ryan Garcia, the 22-year-old rising young star from California, faces veteran Luke Campbell in the biggest test of his career on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
What sort of statement must Garcia make against his capable British opponent in the scheduled 12-round lightweight bout to take the next step in his career?
In this episode of the Ak & Barak Show, DAZN commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess discuss that issue and much more.
Here’s what Reyes and Bess had to say.
The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.
