It’s not often that thousands crowd into Crypto.com Arena for anything other than a Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers showdown. However, tonight’s main event is the main exception. For the second time in under six months, lightweight contender Ryan Garcia will make his way into the ring and put his skills on display. This time around, the California native will stand opposite of Javier Fortuna, a former titleholder. At 33 years old, Fortuna enters the ring with 13 years of experience. At 23 years old, Garcia enters the ring with limitless potential. Who will come out on top? Tune in to DAZN at 8 p.m. ET and find out!
Who is Ryan Garcia?
Hometown: Los Alamitos, California
Weight Class: Lightweight
Notable Victories: Francisco Fonseca (KO, 1) | Luke Campbell (TKO, 7)
Accomplishments: Former WBC Interim Lightweight Champion
Ryan Garcia enters Saturday’s contest as an emerging star within the sport of boxing. Not only is the California kid a talented boxer with immense power, but he also does a great job of marketing himself to the masses. The young fighter from Los Alamitos has garnered a massive following on social media and landed partnerships with companies like Gatorade and Dior. In fact, his outfit on Saturday has been designed by Dior.
While the sponsorships and social media following brings in revenue, Garcia remains focused on his future in the ring. If Garcia can dispatch of Fortuna, he can potentially set himself up for a major fight later this year with Gervonta “Tank” Davis. “Ryan Garcia wants Gervonta Davis,” Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions told USA Today‘s Michael Rosenthal. For that fight to take place, Garcia must first take care of business on July 16 at Crypto.com Arena.
Who is Javier Fortuna?
Hometown: La Romana, Dominican Republic
Weight Class: Lightweight
Notable Victories: Bryan Vázquez (UD, 12)
Accomplishments: Former WBA Super Featherweight (Regular) Champion
Javier Fortuna is well aware that he is not favored to win this fight. In fact, he’s hinted that Garcia may be too focused on a potential fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
“Ryan is a good fighter, but we hope that this time around he doesn’t have any excuses not to fight me. I see that he is very focused on another fight instead of focusing on the fight he has this Saturday,” Fortuna said on Thursday.
“And we hope that after I beat him on Saturday he doesn’t have any excuses.”
While confident and experienced, Fortuna has a lot to prove himself. At 33 years old, Fortuna has lost every major fight he’s been over the last few years. Robert Easter Jr. and Joseph “JoJo” Diaz were both able to get by the Dominican fighter. In fact, Fortuna’s most important win may have come all the way back in 2015 when he captured a share of the super featherweight crown. If Fortuna is going to live up to his words, he’ll have to rise to the occasion on Saturday night.
How To Watch
In today’s business climate, bouts involving a star of Garcia’s caliber typically sneak their way on to pay-per-view. Fortunately, that is not the case. However, there will still be a fee. Garcia is signed to Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, which has a great relationship with DAZN. As a result, many Golden Boy Promotions’ fighters end up fighting on DAZN, including Garcia. While DAZN is not putting this fight on pay-per-view, their subscription price comes in at $19.99. In all, it’s not a bad price to pay for a fight that will draw a good amount of fans to Crypto.com Arena.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Date: July 16, 2022
Network: DAZN
Price: $19.99 per month | $149.99 per year
Odds
Garcia will enter Saturday’s main event as a heavy favorite. The California native maintains an undefeated record of 22-0 with 18 knockouts. While Fortuna is a tough fighter, he has been knocked out before. Also, Fortuna does not have signature win on his resumé. His three pro losses have come at the hands of Robert Easter Jr., Jason Sosa and Joseph “JoJo” Diaz. In contrast, his greatest win came way back in 2015 when he secured a version of the super featherweight crown. With that in mind, it’s not a major surprise to see that Garcia is the betting favorite.
- Caesars Sportsbook: Ryan Garcia (-1200) | Javier Fortuna (+750)
- Draftkings Sportsbook: Ryan Garcia (-1200) | Javier Fortuna (+650)
- FanDuel: Ryan Garcia (-1450) | Javier Fortuna (+770)
Predictions
Garcia is a fixture on social media, but hard core boxing fans frequently tune into see his fights. Former champions like Sergio Mora, Bernard Hopkins and Shawn Porter have all weighed in on the bout. Not to mention, the boxing press has also offered their thoughts on the bout. It’s fun to predict who will win, but Garcia and Fortuna will have the final say on Saturday night in Los Angeles, California.
Media
- Brent Brookhouse, CBS Sports | Garcia def. Fortuna (TKO, 7)
- Ryan Shepard, Def Pen | Garcia def. Fortuna (TKO, 10)
- Mookie Alexander, Bloody Elbow | Garcia def. Fortuna (TKO, 10)
