Ryan Garcia is back in boxing action in Los Angeles, California this weekend, as he takes on Javier Fortuna. The American will be the clear favourite in the betting to maintain his perfect professional record, but could the Dominican southpaw cause a major shock in the world of boxing?
Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna Tale of the Tape
| Ryan Garcia | Javier Fortuna | |
| 23 | Age | 32 |
| 5 ft 10 in | Height | 5 ft 6 ½ in |
| 70 in | Reach | 68 ½ in |
| 22-0 | Record | 37-3-1 (2 NC) |
| Orthodox | Stance | Southpaw |
Latest Odds
As you would suggest, Garcia dominates the betting for the lightweight fight in California this weekend. The American is currently a 1/16 chance to win, while Fortuna is a huge outsider to cause a shock upset at 11/2 with BetXchange.
Garcia Puts Dominant Record On The Line
There have been few more exciting boxers in recent times in the USA than Ryan Garcia. At just 23, he has already held the WBC interim lightweight title, as well as the WBC Silver lightweight championship. He comes into this fight with a career record of 22-0, and in truth, hasn’t come close to losing on any previous appearance as a professional.
However, his dominant run of five straight KO victories was brought to an end earlier in the year, as he made his return to the squared circle after 14 months away against Emmanuel Tagoe in Texas.
Despite eventually claiming the victory by unanimous decision, the night was awfully comfortable for one of the top-ranked lightweights in the world. Dominant KO victories against Luke Campbell and Francisco Fonseca just show how dominant he can be when he is at his best, and we would expect an early knockout once again this weekend as he looks to further his claims of gaining a world title opportunity later in the year.
Fortuna Is The Huge Outsider
There’s no denying that Fortuna is the massive outsider for the fight this weekend against Garcia. However, the Dominican does have a solid enough record to earn respect from his opponent on Saturday. Fortuna held the WBA interim featherweight title between 2012 and 2013, and was also the WBA super featherweight champion between 2015 and 2016. He has already challenged for the world title in the lightweight division, but he was beaten last year by unanimous decision by Joseph Diaz.
There is certainly a feeling that if he is able to weather the likely storm from Garcia in the opening round that his experience in big fights could be a key. The longer the fight goes will be seen as a huge benefit in his column, as Garcia may become reckless with his shots and that could open up opportunities for Fortuna. However, whether he has the talent to really see off one of the brightest stars in US boxing remains to be seen.
Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna Prediction
This could potentially be a much more interesting fight than the current betting suggests. Fortuna has a ton of experience as a professional, and looks capable of giving Garcia something to think about. That being said, I still struggle to see past the talented American and would expect him to score a victory by unanimous decision.
