Guerrero was successful in that he gave a very good account of himself, but Garcia won the vacant welterweight world title with a unanimous decision over Guerrero before 12,052 on Saturday at Staples Center.
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Garcia started slowly but controlled the later rounds to win a world title in only his second bout at 147lb. That took place in October 1996 at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas and Floyd setting up a massive 50th fight to break Rocky Marciano’s record in September this year would be the flawless way to mark two decades in the sport.
“As of right now, I don’t have the urge to fight”, he said, a message that was echoed in an interview Saturday with FightHype.com.
“I was throwing my combinations, using my legs like my dad told me to do”, said Garcia, who is trained by his father, Angel Garcia. “I’m a two-division champion”.
Garcia poured it on late in the fight but Guerrero thought he had done enough. Garcia also complained about head-butts, but he gradually gained control of the bout, exploiting Guerrero’s lack of head movement and defense.
Done. Garcia moved the right hand up to Guerrero’s head, which was a large, stationary target.
All three ringside judges scored the fight 116-112 in Garcia’s favour, condemning 32-year-old Guerrero to his fourth defeat in 38 fights and his third in his past five.
There are many sceptics though, including me, that believe Mayweather will certainly be back in action by the end of the year as 2016 represents the 20-year anniversary of the American’s professional debut. I thought Guerrero won five rounds.
Southpaw Guerrero fell to 33-4 with one drawn.
“I pressured him, I nailed him, busted his body up”. “I want to fight the best”, he barked. I feel great. I’m a two-division champion.
Intriguingly, Haymon also advises Khan – but with Angel Garcia saying his son would like a unification match next, Brook would also appear to be in the running. “I just want to take some time off, let my body heal and take one day at a time”.
But Garcia’s dominant sixth round changed the course as he invented angles with the mighty right and smartly set up the steady blows that left the fighter from Gilroy, Calif., visibly altered. Perhaps sensing the fight was close, they both came out strong in the 12th round as though each was looking for a knockout in what turned out to be a frenzied final round. Guerrero launched a furious attack in the final round but it was not enough to knock Garcia out or overcome the deficit. “How are you going to win a fight when you run and hold every time? They’re happy to be at the fights with me”. It was not exciting stuff, but I think Garcia isn’t the same fighter he was since his hard fight with Lucas Matthysse in 2013. He was decked in the third round of his fight with Amir Mansour and appeared to have lost the first three rounds.
Following the fifth round, Mansour bit through his tongue and cited a jaw injury (which was not broken) and could not continue as the valiant Breazeale was awarded the well-earned victory. It happens to the best of us.
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Yet Mansour swarmed Breazeale from the beginning and showed him the boxing version of intentional grounding.
