Ryan Garcia, Riding High After First Main Event

by Matt Benoliel.  He was ESPN’s 2017 Prospect of the Year. His record now sits at 14-0 with 13 KOs.  He’s got over 500,000 Instagram followers.  As he approached the ring prior to his fight tonight at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California, scores of young women hollered his name and snapped his picture on their cell phones.  The scene was more rock concert than boxing match.  The nineteen-year old who entered the ring reveled in the spotlight, confident and calm.  There was nothing in his demeanor that suggested he was about to enter perhaps the toughest fight of his career, his first night as the headliner, the main event.  Perhaps aided by the blessing he received from Julio Cesar Chavez in the dressing room minutes before, or the accumulation of years of being hyped as the next big superstar, or just the intrinsic sense of confidence that grows from god-given talent, hard work and success, this kid, known as both “Kingry” and “The Flash,” has it all, and he knows it.

Tonight, Kingry Ryan Garcia made short game of his opponent, veteran fighter Fernando Vargas (32-16-3, 24 KOs).  At the onset, it was Vargas who was clearly the aggressor, landing some stiff jabs to the body of The Flash and eluding the quick lead jab of the taller and younger Garcia.  Vargas came to fight, and while Garcia may have felt a fleeting moment of frustration, he quickly figured out Vargas’ rhythm and capitalized to his advantage.  At around 1:15 into the first and only round of the fight, Garcia threw an overhand right that caught Vargas’ attention.  But Vargas continued to stalk Garcia.  Unfortunately, by this time, Garcia had taken control of the fight.  It wasn’t long before Garcia threw another perfectly timed overhand right followed by a left hook which sent Fernando Vargas reeling to the canvas.

It is Ryan’s stated goal to hold a world title, and when he does, it seems highly likely that he will retain it for a long, long time.