Ryan Garcia to Fight Oscar Duarte in December Junior Welterweight Bout

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Garcia is heading back to the mat…

The 25-year-old Mexican American boxing star will return to the ring in a junior welterweight fight against Oscar Duarte on December 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya has announced.

The fight will be streamed on DAZN, and it comes one week before Devin Haney challenges Regis Prograis for the WBC junior welterweight title on DAZN PPV.

Garcia will be competing for the first time since he was TKO‘d by Gervonta Davis — the first loss of Garcia’s pro career — in the seventh round of their April fight.

That bout took place at a 136-pound catchweight, but Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) now will campaign at 140 pounds, the same category as his last two fights before the “Tank” Davis bout took place.

The matchup with Duarte will also be Garcia’s first with Derrick James, who was ESPN‘s 2022 Trainer of the Year, leading his corner.

“Here you have a guy [Duarte] who’s coming off 11 KOs in a row,” De Le Hoya said. “There’s a guy who’s a power puncher who’s going to come forward and make Ryan fight. It’s the proper fight after a knockout loss to Gervonta.”

Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, is still seeking his first world title.

Later this month, he’ll enter mediation with Golden Boy Promotions as the sides attempt to resolve a dispute. Among the issues: Garcia claims his promotional deal to compete on pay-per-view platforms besides DAZN wasn’t honored.

According to Garcia’s demand letter sent to Golden Boy in June, the fighter was advised that his April superfight against Davis “could not happen unless it was broadcast on DAZN because of an exclusive agreement Golden Boy had separately negotiated with DAZN.”

The PPV fight against Davis was broadcast by Showtime — a broadcast partner of PBC (Davis’ promoter). DAZN also carried the fight on its streaming service and was paid a $1.25 million fee to step aside as the exclusive broadcaster, of which $120,000 Garcia personally paid to DAZN, per the letter.

Despite the disagreement and pending mediation, Garcia and De La Hoya were able to finalize this fight against Duarte to keep Garcia’s career moving.

“It’s business as usual,” De La Hoya told ESPN last month. “We have a couple of pending issues that should not impede any type of progress moving forward. I truly feel that we’re going to get this behind us and then move on with his career.”

Duarte, meanwhile, presents a chance for Garcia to bounce back from his first career loss and build some momentum heading into a pivotal 2024. Duarte (26-1-1, 21 KOs) has won 11 fights since his only career loss, all by KO.

The 27-year-old Mexican fighter, who competes at 135 pounds, will make a major jump in class for the Garcia bout.

Garcia’s career-best win remains a seventh-round TKO of Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in January 2021, when Garcia survived a knockdown.

With an impressive showing over Duarte, Garcia appears poised for more marquee fights after the big business he delivered with Davis in April. Garcia said on social media that he earned $30 million for that fight.

“We’re looking to do a major, major fight with Ryan, possibly around Super Bowl weekend,” De La Hoya said. “I would love to talk to Bob [Arum] to see what’s going on with him and Teofimo [Lopez], but there’s other options as well.”

Rey Vargas Dethrones WBC Featherweight Champ Mark Magsayo via Split Decision

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rey Vargas is holding a belt again…

The 31-year-old Mexican professional boxer and former WBC junior featherweight champion, fighting for just the second time in three years, persevered through a late knockdown to dethrone WBC featherweight champ Mark Magsayo via split decision Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.

“I have no words to describe what happened here tonight,” Vargas said through an interpreter. “This is my second title. This one’s going back to Mexico.”

After a vicious start at the Alamodome in which both men unleashed power punches and connected with a high percentage, the 5-foot-10 Vargas (36-0, 22 KOs) took control of the bout by utilizing his longer reach to maintain distance and pepper Magsayo with jabs and left hooks whenever the Filipino fighter advanced.

Magsayo (24-1, 16 KOs) missed widely at times but did reach his target with big punches on several occasions throughout the 12 rounds, especially late in the ninth, when he dropped Vargas with a counter right hand. Vargas appeared to be on rubbery legs for the rest of that round and much of the 10th, but after that his jab and footwork kept him at a distance from Magsayo, who failed to aggressively capitalize on having his opponent hurt.

Two of the ringside judges saw the fight for Vargas by 115-112 scores, while the third scored it 114-113 for Magsayo.

“I worked hard for this,” Vargas said. “I want to thank God, my family, [trainer] Nacho [Ignacio Beristain]. The first title I won, I enjoyed it greatly but this one is special. This win is for me.”

Vargas had surrendered his 122-pound belt in 2020 — not inside a ring but because of his inactivity. Now a champion one division up, he wants to get right back into the ring, saying after the fight that he wants a title unification bout, preferably against WBA champ Leo Santa Cruz.

Magsayo entered the fight with a lofty ambition in boxing. The 27-year-old from the Philippines is a protege of his legendary countryman, Manny Pacquiao, and he’s been hyped up as the next “Pacman.” Magsayo became champ in January by ending the seven-year reign of Gary Russell Jr.

“I will rest and watch the fight and I’m going to train to fight again and will correct my mistakes for the next time,” Magsayo said after the fight.

Ryan Garcia to Make Comeback Against Emmanuel Tagoe in Lightweight Fight in April

Posted on February 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Garcia is preparing for his return to the ring…

The 23-year-old Mexican American boxer will meet Emmanuel Tagoe in a lightweight fight on April 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio on DAZN, according to Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Garcia.

The bout will be Garcia’s first since January 2021, when he scored a seventh-round TKO of Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in a career-best performance.

Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) was slated to fight Javier Fortuna in July 2021, but he withdrew from the fight to address his mental health. A bout against Joseph Diaz Jr., set for November 2021, was cancelled after Garcia suffered a wrist injury while training that required surgery.

“I went through a hard year. … Everything came tumbling down on me mentally,” Garcia said on ESPN+‘s State of Boxing in December. “It was a hard time in my life. It got really dark … to the point I didn’t know if I wanted to live anymore. I had a lot of thoughts about that throughout the whole year.”

Garcia possesses arguably the quickest hands in boxing and packs plenty of power, too. He’s trained by Eddy Reynoso at Canelo Alvarez‘s San Diego gym, and under Reynoso’s tutelage, Garcia rose to No. 6 in ESPN‘s 135-pound rankings.

Garcia has lobbied for a super fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis but first must impress against Tagoe coming off a 15-month layoff, the longest of his career.

Tagoe, a 33-year-old fighting out of Accra, Ghana, will be competing in the U.S. for just the second time. He’ll do so against his best opponent by far; Tagoe (32-1, 15 KOs) has fought only a handful of recognizable names. His last bout was in October 2020, a majority-decision win over Mason Menard, who is best known for a first-round KO loss against Teofimo Lopez.

“I’m not going to give up and I’m going to keep being an inspiration for people that are struggling,” said Garcia, who is approaching 9 million followers on Instagram. “I’m right back on track and I’m not going to let anything that all these people are saying outside of the ring, trying to come at my character and who I am as a fighter, I’m not going to let any of that get to me.”

Julio Cesar Martinez to Defend His WBC Flyweight World Title Against Francisco Rodriguez Jr.

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Julio Cesar Martinez is going on the defensive yet again…

The 25-year-old Mexican professional boxer and WBC flyweight world titleholder will defend his belt against Francisco Rodriguez Jr. on the Canelo Alvarez–Callum Smith undercard on December 19 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Martinez (17-1, 13 KOs) won the title in a ninth-round TKO victory over Cristofer Rosales in December 2019. He defended the belt twice this year, a unanimous decision victory against Jay Harris in February and a second-round TKO of Moises Calleros in October.

Martinez, who lost his pro debut in 2015, has gone 17-0 with one no-contest since then. He’s trained by Eddy Reynoso, who also trains Alvarez.

Rodriguez Jr. (33-4-1, 24 KOs) is a former strawweight world titlist. After losing back-to-back decisions against Donnie Nietes and Moises Fuentes in 2015, Rodriguez, 27, has won 14 straight bouts, 12 by stoppage.

Also on the undercard, super middleweight blue-chip prospect Diego Pacheco (10-0, 8 KOs) will face Rodolfo Gomez Jr. (14-4-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round battle.

Canelo Alvarez to Fight Callum Smith Next Month in Texas

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Canelo Alvarez is heading back to the ring…

Following months of conflict between the 30-year-old Mexican boxer, his promoters and his broadcast partners, Alvarez is finally ready to rumble.

Alvarez will meet Callum Smith in Texas this December to unify WBA super middleweight titles, according to ESPN. This will be Alvarez’s first appearance since his 11th-round TKO victory over Sergey Kovalev in November 2019.

The target dates for the fight are December 18, 19 or 20.

Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) faces “Mundo” Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) after he announced himself as a free agent last week. His first business partner will be Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. It’s very possible that DAZN, the broadcaster partner Alvarez was working with before severing ties with longtime promoter Golden Boy Promotions, could carry the fight in the U.S.

The fight — targeted for AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, or the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas — will come a year after a meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, where Smith’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, spent a few minutes with Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s trainer, to tell him about his interest in an Alvarez-Smith fight.

Smith, 20, is seven inches taller than Alvarez and has about eight inches reach advantage. Smith, like Alvarez, hasn’t fought since last November when he scored a contested unanimous decision victory over John Ryder.

Smith is the WBA “super” super middleweight world titlist, and Alvarez has the WBA “regular” belt, but the fight could also be for the WBC super middleweight title that was left vacant when David Benavidez missed weight for his fight against Roamer Alexis Angulo in August and was stripped of the belt.

Alvarez starts a new era as his own promoter with a title fight against a legit opponent. Smith is considered one of the elite fighters in the division, and is ranked No. 1 by ESPN.

Leo Santa Cruz to Defend WBA Junior Lightweight Title Against Gervonta Davis on Halloween

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Leo Santa Cruz is ready for a Halloween rumble….

The title fight between the 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer and Gervonta “Tank” Davis, one of the biggest events of 2020, has been moved to October 31 at San Antonio’s Alamodome, the two junior lightweight fighters have announced.

The bout, which will be broadcast on Showtime PPV, is tentatively scheduled to be the first American combat sports event to allow fans since COVID-19 became a pandemic. The number of fans who’ll be in attendance has not been announced.

Santa Cruz (37-1, 19 KOs), ranked eighth among junior lightweights, will be defending the primary WBA junior lightweight belt.

Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) is the No. 4 lightweight in ESPN‘s divisional rankings.

Santa Cruz is coming off a unanimous decision against Miguel Flores last November. Davis most recently fought in December, when he stopped veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Davis, 25, needed two attempts to make the 135-pound weight limit for the Gamboa bout. The October 31 fight against Santa Cruz will be at the junior lightweight limit of 130 pounds.

Under current state guidelines, Texas allows 50% of a stadium’s capacity for sporting events. The indoor venue has a listed capacity of 32,000 for boxing events but seats 64,000 for football. Last weekend, the announced attendance for UTSA‘s football win over Middle Tennessee was 6,182.

Smaller cards around the country have hosted fans in attendance since the pandemic forced restrictions nationwide. But every major bout has been conducted in a closed environment with no paid spectators.

Premier Boxing Champions, which unofficially promotes Davis and Santa Cruz, held a Showtime PPV event last weekend at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut featuring Jermall Charlo and Jermell Charlo. It was PBC‘s first major event since the COVID-19 shutdown.

MAC Cosmetics to Release Brand New Selena-Inspired Collection

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Selena’s legendary style lives on… And, you can own a part of it.

MAC Cosmetics has announced that a brand new makeup collection inspired by La Reina de la Musica Tejana will be released in April, honoring Selena’s 25 year legacy.

“Selena and M·A·C Cosmetics are back together! Get ready for an all NEW collection launching in April to celebrate the Queen of Tejano’s life and legacy! Stay tuned for this iconic collection,” expressed a post on Selena’s official Facebook account.

This is the second time the brand is honoring the late Mexican-American singer through beauty products.

In 2016, fans were blessed with a makeup collection that embodied Selena’s style, including her signature red lipstick and an eye shadow palette named after some of her emblematic songs, like “Como La Flor,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “No Me Queda Mas.”

The limited-edition collection released in 2016 was tenderly curated by Selena’s sister Suzette Quintanilla. “I wanted the colors to be about her personally, what she wore on and offstage,” Quintanilla said in a previous press statement.

The new MAC collaboration comes on the heels of a Selena tribute concert taking place on May 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Presented by Q Productions, Selena XXV-Veinticinco Años counts with a star-studded lineup including Pitbull, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, A.B. Quintanilla III & Los Kumbia Allstarz, Becky G, and Ally Brooke, and more.

Jaime Munguia Defeats Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan in Middleweight Debut

Posted on January 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Munguiais celebrating a positive step up…

The 23-year-old Mexican boxer and former WBO junior middleweight titlist made a successful debut at middleweight by defeating Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan with an 11th-round TKO at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday night.

While he was able to dominate the late stage of the contest, there were certainly some rough moments for Munguia (35-0, 28 KOs), who, after a quick start in the opening two rounds, was clipped on the chin by a right hand from O’Sullivan that dazed him at the very end of the third.

It took a few rounds for Munguia to truly steady himself, but as he got back to establishing his long, quick jab and focusing more on throwing fast punches, instead of hard ones, the 23-year-old was able to regain full control of the bout. In the seventh round, a low blow sent O’Sullivan to the canvas, and Munguia was deducted a point by referee Mark Calo-oy. But that didn’t dissuade Munguia from consistently attacking the body and then mixing up his attack up top.

“I was confused whether to attack or not, but thanks to my corner, I think I did better at 160,” said Munguia. “I feel like I wore down less ’cause of the weight cut. I felt I threw more punches, more combinations, and it made the difference.”

Give credit to O’Sullivan: Although he was hurt in several rounds, he landed more than his share of punches on Munguia, who left more than a few openings with his hell-bent for leather style. O’Sullivan was staggered in the 10th, and then finally, as he was swarmed by the two-fisted attack of Munguia, he crumbled to the canvas just as the towel was being thrown in by his corner.

Munguia finished with a flourish, but he showed that he is still very much a work-in-progress under the direction of Hall of Famer Erik Morales, who has trained him for the past two fights. Their first outing together was back in September when he halted Patrick Alloteyin four rounds.

It seems as though Morales has made some progress with his young pupil. Yet, there is still plenty more to be learned.

When asked how he would assess his own performance, Munguia said, “I would give myself an eight or nine. I had to do some more things but will take this fight by fight.”

Alvarez Defeats Trout to Claim WBA Belt

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has a new belt in his collection…

The 21-year-old Mexican boxer won the WBA championship belt by unanimously outpointing Austin Trout on Saturday night at San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Alvarez (42-0-1) unified the 154-pound titles with a dominant victory, retaining his WBC super welterweight championship along with the vacant Ring Magazine belt. But it was the WBA belt that was the ultimate prize.

Alvarez received winning scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 118-109 to beat Trout.

Some observers speculated Alvarez wasn’t ready for a veteran opponent like Trout (26-1), but they didn’t realize how personal the bout was to him.

“My brother was a big motivation for this,” Alvarez said. “I did this for him. He beat my brother, and that’s my blood.”

Alvarez fought like a man out for revenge, knocking down Trout for the first time in his career and staggering him several times to the delight of the crowd that continually chanted “Mexico! Mexico!”

“I’ll take the loss like a man,” Trout said. “The better man won tonight. He was better than me. I have no excuses.”

Trout was the more active fighter, connecting on 154 of 769 punches compared to 124 of 431, but Alvarez landed 43 percent of his power punches compared to 27 percent for Trout.

“He shocked us, I was prepared for a different fighter,” Trout said. “I tried to pressure the action and change things up, but he kept changing.”

Alvarez dropped Trout early in the seventh round, catching the southpaw flush to the chin with a powerful straight punch. Trout staggered a few steps backward before falling front first to the canvas.

“He caught me with a good shot,” Trout said. “There is nothing else I can say.”

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