Author picks Garcia by knockout victory
[BoxingGlove Notes]
The everlasting “fistic feud” between Puerto Rican and Mexican boxers continues.
The showdown is Saturday, November 9, 2013, at the American Bank Center, in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Roman “Rocky” Martinez, 29-1-2 draws, 15 knockouts from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, and current W.B.O. Super Featherweight Champion will defend his crown against, former W.B.O. Featherweight Champion, Miguel Angel “Mickey” Garcia, 32-0, 27 k.o.’s, Mexican, although born in Ventura, California.
Mickey Garcia is not undefeated, he did “lose” his 126 pound crown to the scales when he failed to make the weight-by 2 pounds-when he was challenged by Juan Manuel “JunaMa” Lopez, in Dallas on June 13, 2013; he was stripped of his title. He not only lost his crown but he also had to pay Lopez a penalty of $150,000.
Garcia in a sense redeemed himself by knocking Lopez out in the 4th round. Lopez in losing was compensated handsomely. Mickey Garcia represents Rocky Martinez’ most dangerous opponent to-date since he comes from a fighting family, remember, “The Flying Wallendas”, trapeze act?
Well, these are “The Fighting Garcia’s”. Eduardo Garcia the patriarch was a fighter who also trained former world champ, Fernando “Ferocious” Vargas. Older brother Roberto trains Mickey as well as “Bam Bam” Rios, who is fighting Manny Pacquiao, November 23, 2013 in Macao,China –he was a former I.B.F. Super Featherweight champ. The older brother, Daniel also fought pro.
It was a natural assumption that Mickey would follow in the “family boxing business”, just like Floyd Mayweather followed his father Floyd, Sr., and Uncle Roger into the ring. It’s in the “blood”.
Garcia is a hard punching fighting machine who very astutely studies his opponents from the opening bell always utilizing his jab to set the pace and when he is sure of how to attack he proceeds with pin-point accuracy. The proof is his 27 knockouts in just 32 fights, giving him a very high knockout percentage ratio, just like “Triple G” last week.
Garcia is a very determined come-forward punishing body puncher who will give Rocky Martinez a tough fight trying to take away his crown, and continue the advantage of Mexican victories over Puerto Ricans. The last count was, Mexico, 15 and Puerto Rico, 11.
As for Rocky Martinez, he is the current Latino W.B.O. Super Featherweight Crown holder, W.B.O. Inter-Continental Super Featherweight Champ, and the W.B.O. & N.A.B.O. Super featherweight Champ. To add to his fistic glory, in September 15, 2012 he won the W.B.O. Jr. Lightweight Title. So it is obvious he has won a lot of “hardware”, even though he is only defending the W.B.O. Jr. Lightweight Crown against Garcia. Although Martinez has lost once, he has enough punching power-15 k.o.’s-to defeat Garcia, he is taller, has a longer arm reach and could box very well, and is faster than Garcia.
Martinez did admit that he is under pressure because he is at the present time the only remaining world champ that is Puerto Rican. So there is a lot of concern that he retains his title recognizing of course that Mickey Garcia is his toughest opponent. “I will leave my heart and guts out on that canvass defending my title to bring it back to Puerto Rico”, says a very confident Martinez. “I will be like a warrior who has trained hard in camp and will fight to the end, and not be counted out no matter what happens on Saturday.”
It is very difficult not believe Martinez, but I have seen both fighters combat tough opponents in past fights and Garcia has fared better. Garcia easily defeated tough veteran former champ Orlando “Siri” Salido, knocking him down twice while Martinez barely won his last title, the W.B.O. Jr. Lightweight Crown, by a split decision over, Carlos Beltran, Jr. Many people booed because they felt Beltran was “robbed” of the decision.
So there you have it, a continued boxing competition of 2 countries that has produced many world champs in many weight divisions except heavyweights. Who will win, Garcia or Martinez? Well, at the risk of going against my Puerto Rican countryman, I honestly feel that Mickey Garcia will have the better goods in this W.B.O. title combat. His ring presence and determined ring generalship will be more than enough to defeat Martinez, plus, he reminds me a lot of Triple G.
What more can I say, except Garcia by a knockout by the 8th round. Remember, I have picked the “wrong horse” before.
The rest of the fight card is very interesting featuring a W.B.O. Junior Middleweight world title fight between 2 top contenders under Bob Arum’s Top Rank promotion, Demetrius Andrade vs. Vanes Martirosyan, and a return grudge match between former Junior Bantamweight World Champ, Vic Darchinyan and his nemesis from the Philippines, Nonito Donaire, who lost his bantamweight title to the Cuban Ex-Olympian, Guillermo Rigondeaux. Donaire does hold a knockout victory over Darchinyan causing him to state at the last press conference, “Its revenge time.”
Columnist’s Note: Our hearts and God’s Blessings go to Russian heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov and his family for a full recovery. Abdusalamov underwent surgery at Roosevelt Hospital to remove a blood clot that was found on his brain last Saturday, November 2, 2013 after his losing fight in Madison Square Garden, to Mike Perez.
After suffering a stroke from 104 degree temperature, he was place in a life support system. We can only ask God through our prayers to give Magomed his life back.
