Two-division world champion Danny “Swift Garcia dominated in his super heavyweight debut Saturday night, going for a decisive majority victory over hottie Jose Benavidez Jr. during the SHOWTIME main event from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the title for a Premier Boxing Champions event. He captured perhaps his most expressive moment after the match when he collapsed in the ring discussing his struggles with mental health with SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray, showing his character. Authenticity has made him such a fan favorite in Brooklyn.
“I took a break from going through mental things, everything went dark, I went through anxiety, deep depression, just trying to be strong,” said Garcia emotionally. “It’s the pressure of life, being a good father, let it out now, because it’s all stuck inside. It’s been raining for me for a year and a half and the only way to do better is to fight back. I am a warrior. If you battle anxiety and depression, you can come out of it, which is what I did today. I fought”.
Philadelphia’s Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) has been a staple at Barclays Center since making headlines for the arena’s first boxing event in 2012, and his return Saturday night against Benavidez (27-2-1, 18 KOs), saw him pick up his seventh win in Brooklyn.
After running as world champion at 147 and 140 pounds, Garcia debuted at 154 pounds after nearly 20 months out of competition. Known as a counter-attacker, Garcia frequently attacked, aiming for Benavidez’s body on the way to his career-high 153 body shots, according to CompuBox. Garcia’s superior hand and foot speed caused Benavidez to follow him throughout the night, managing to land his right arm through Garcia’s left hook.
Benavidez’s best moment came in the 9th round when he connected with one of those right hands and knocked Garcia’s head back, but he couldn’t capitalize on the attack enough to change the trajectory of the fight.
“I am satisfied with my performance,” Benavidez said. “I feel like I did well. I was fighting in his backyard, one of the best, I took his punches like they were nothing. I think I won the war. But what is it, a loss makes you stronger.
“It’s tough, things don’t always go your way, there are ups and downs. I try to be positive, like when the doctor told me I would never walk again. I didn’t let that happen to me. I still continue. “
Overall, Garcia gained 233 to 117 edges in landing punches and possessed a 31% connect rate compared to Benavidez’s 20%. After 12 rounds, Garcia played enough to earn the decisive goal with scores of 117-11, 116-112 and 114-114 full of surprises. After the battle, Garcia credited his father and trainer Angel Garcia for being by his side throughout his battle with anxiety and depression.
Garcia said: “The angel was there with me all the way. “I am nothing without this man. I thank him every day. People ask me all the time, why am I fighting? I earn a lot of money. Why is Warren Buffett still making money? I am a warrior. This is what I do, what I love to do. “
Garcia also added two more interesting potential opponents that he wants to face.
Garcia said: “I want a rematch with Keith Thurman, he took my ‘0’. “I will also take [WBA Middleweight Champion] Erislandy Lara for the middleweight title with 154 pounds. “
In the co-main event, Turkish track and field athlete Ali Eren Demirezen (17-1, 12 KOs) scored a career best win via unanimous decision (97-93 twice, 96-94 ) in front of Polish star and Brooklyn fan Adam Kownacki. (20-3, 15 KOs) after 10 heavyweight rounds.
Demirezen said: “I really enjoy fighting in America and I love New York, so I said before you would see me more. “I was nervous because he’s a strong fighter and I could have been much better, but it’s my first time here and he’s fought here before.”
In his 11th game at the Barclays Center, Kownacki urged his hometown fans to start fast as he targeted Demirezen’s body regularly in the first half. As the fight progressed, Demirezen flipped the script and ended up becoming a more aggressive fighter, delivering 915 punches to Kownacki’s 851, while delivering 239 punches of power compared to Kownacki’s 186.
After consecutive defeats to Robert Helenius, Kownacki had hoped to return to the winning milestone and return to his place among the heavyweights, but was resolutely turned back by Demirezen, who had stopped Gerald Washington in January.
“I got a little cranky, I think he went down the front yard during the exchanges, I didn’t sit a lot, I think the rust played a part, being out for a long time,” said Kownacki. Kownacki said. “I’ve been out of the ring since last October, good camp but I don’t know, I let him off first, I didn’t move my legs. I went back to my old self instead of the first rounds when I was playing well.
“I have two children, I will talk to my wife for a long time to see what I want to do. I’ve had so many fights here, so many great memories, I don’t want to go out like a loser. I want another fight to give the fans a win. “
In the 10th round, Kownacki, with blood pouring from his left eye, was once again able to get his legion of fans to his feet as he made a brave effort to kick Demirezen with his right hand, forcing Demirezen into a temporary fight. with his hind legs. . However, Demirezen recovered in time to win the round, and scanned all three cards in the last two rounds to win.
“I promised people a fight, and that’s what everyone got,” Demirezen said. “I beat him in his hometown. I want to be an inspiration and role model for the young Turkish players who watched this match. I hope I made them proud.”
In the TV show’s opening match, undefeated rising star Gary Antuanne Russell (16-0, 16 KOs) performed a sixth round TKO (: 50) against former two-team Rances Barthelemy (29- 2-1, 15 KOs) in their super light bout clashing to keep their perfect knockout streak intact. Russell made a neat jump right hook that knocked Barthelemy out early in the round, and while Barthelemy was able to stay on his feet, referee Shada Murdaugh abandoned the action, drawing complaints from Barthelemy’s corner. his and the crowd present on the field.
“I know Races is a class, class athlete and he wants to keep going,” said Russell, who revealed after the match that he injured his left hand in the fifth inning. “Emotions are very high. Whether we are beaten or beaten, as a fighter you always want to keep going but the referee did his job and if he is allowed to continue it will be the same. I got him.
“In the sixth round, I let him back. I know he’s looking for my right cross and I catch him back and I hook and put him down, he’s buzzing but he wants to keep going. He is a warrior. “
“This is the most bitter loss of my career,” Barthelemy said. “I am destroyed. Don’t get me wrong, this is not Russell’s fault at all. I’m a veteran, and I’ve been through something similar many times in my career. The referee treated me like a rookie instead of me being a two-time world champion.”
The match featured action-packed action from two skilled male players, as Russell and Barthelemy sparred in a thrilling round that saw both throw more than 60 punches and each hit the mark. big shot. As the action progressed, Barthelemy was able to find success confronting the tough Russell, who determined much of the tempo of the battle.
The fighters threw a total of five punches from each other each round during the round, including combining to deliver 361 power punches out of a total of 515 thrown. Barthelemy expressed dissatisfaction with the referee’s decision after the game and made a request for a rematch with Russell. In injury time, the total was 49-46 twice and 48-47 in favor of Russell.
Barthelemy said: “No, they shouldn’t have stopped it. “I felt good. It was a good shot, I don’t deny it, but they shouldn’t have stopped it. I stood up and told him I was fine and good to go. Of course I did. want a rematch with another referee”.
Fighting for the first time since father and lifelong coach Gary Sr. After his death, Russell was led by his brother and former WBC Featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., as he wanted to continue his promotion in the 140-pound division.
“I wanted to tell my dad that I did it for him, we’re going to keep it up for pop gigs,” Russell said. “This is what my father taught us, no matter what you go through in life and death, two things are inevitable, he raised us to be perfect men. . Thorough means preparation, and he prepared us for boxing and life outside of boxing. I thank my father and I for doing what I had to.”
In the live broadcast action ahead of the TV show, SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN saw top middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-4, 10 KOs) come to a unanimous decision against Joshua Conley (17-4). -1, 11 KOs) with a score of 99-91 twice and 98-92 in 10 rounds.
The matches are streamed live on the YouTube channel SHOWTIME SPORTS and the Facebook page SHOWTIME Boxing also features interesting rising prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. (12-1, 8 KOs) earned a sixth round stop against Jimmy Williams (18-9-2, 6 KOs) in their soldering superweight bout. The 20-year-old Mielnicki battered his opponent throughout the goal until Williams’ corner stopped the game in the 2:12 half.
