Former two-division world champion Danny Garcia ended his “Farewell to Brooklyn” streak with a brutal fourth-round knockout of Danny Gonzalez on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Up-to-date York.
Garcia (38-4, 22 KO) landed his trademark left hook to finish the defeated Gonzalez (22-5-1, 7 KO) 45 seconds into the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round 154-pound fight. Gonzalez slumped to the canvas, his ankle buckling awkwardly beneath him. He tried to take down the count but fell when referee Harvey Dock ended the fight.
Garcia, 37, was the first fighter to headline a boxing event at the Barclays Center in 2012 when he knocked out Mexican legend Erik Morales with a left hook in the fourth round. Thirteen years later, Garcia landed the same punch in the same round against another Mexican opponent in the main event of his “Farewell to Brooklyn” card, which he promoted under his Swift Promotions banner.
Garcia improved to 8-2 at Barclays, and although his last fight was in Brooklyn, Garcia said there is a “good chance” his boxing career will continue.
Garcia set the tone early by hurting Gonzalez in the first minute of the fight. Garcia’s activity put Gonzalez on the defensive as he tried to fight back.
“I noticed I hurt him, but for some reason my timing was a little off,” Garcia said. “So I thought, ‘OK, let me just peaceful down for the next few rounds and work on my jab, and when he stops moving his legs, I can try to catch him.’”
Gonzalez, who was fighting at welterweight for the first time, had no answer for Garcia and was caught when Garcia stood up and fired a left hook that connected squarely to his chin, ending the fight.
“I already knew what he was trying to do,” Garcia said. “Everyone thinks I have flat feet. They could just run around me like it’s uncomplicated, but when you’re there with me, it’s a whole different ball game.”
Garcia rebounded from a September 2024 loss to current WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara.
Devin Haney Promotions says a rematch with Ryan Garcia is scheduled for September 5 at Allegiant Stadium, potentially setting the stage for the rivalry to resume later this year.
The claim appeared on social media from Haney’s promotional website, pointing to a second meeting on the same card in Las Vegas two weeks before Floyd Mayweather’s Sept. 19 rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
If the date holds, the fight will bring the two rivals together again more than two years after their cluttered first meeting in April 2024.
In that fight, Garcia scored multiple knockdowns en route to a decision victory, which was later ruled a no contest after testing positive for Ostarine.
Haney has since returned to form and won the WBO welterweight title with a decision victory over Brian Norman Jr.
Garcia vs. Haney II
Despite the controversy surrounding the original result, the demand for a rematch never went away.
Few in boxing doubt that the Garcia vs. Haney II would make the most sense next. Both fighters currently hold world titles, which means that if the fight goes ahead, the rivalry will develop into a welterweight unification.
The matchup has been the focus of the most significant conversations in the division in recent months.
As World Boxing News reported earlier this month, the welterweight title picture around Garcia and Haney has gradually narrowed as other options narrowed due to mandatory obligations and injuries.
Garcia has also been outspoken about a possible fight with Shakur Stevenson, and Haney has been linked to talks with Rolando “Rolly” Romero.
However, these moves could easily be considered a smokescreen if both sides are focused on a rematch.
Cris Esqueda | Golden Boy
Unfinished business
Garcia, the WBC champion after a convincing victory over Mario Barrios, would likely enter the rematch as the favorite despite losses from the first meeting.
The Recent York State Athletic Commission later changed the result to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive, but the way he repeatedly dropped Haney in the fight still affects how many people will see the second fight.
In his conversation with him, Romero also bluntly assessed the competition The Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer.
“They could have fought a hundred times. Ryan takes him down a hundred times.”
This view may be extreme, but it underscores a broader sense that this rivalry is still unresolved.
With Haney Promotions now pointing to September 5 at Allegiant Stadium, the spotlight is back on Garcia vs. Haney II, which makes the most sense for both men right now.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Because Crawford’s retirement means a rematch for Canelo, he has announced his return for a September event in Saudi Arabia, a fight that boxing broker Turki Alalshikh says will result in a world title shot.
IN interview with Bowks talking about BoutsChristian Mbilli – who was promoted from interim to full champion when Crawford was stripped of the belt – made it clear he wanted to be the fighter on the opposite side.
“For me, my goal now is to fight Canelo because I was [the] perennial WBC number one contender. Number one fighter, number one in the WBC for Canelo. Now I have to show that I am number one in the division.
Mbilli fought on the Canelo–Crawford undercard, drawing with Crawford’s stablemate Lester Martinez to retain the belt. The Cameroon-born Frenchman said in the same interview that he intended to have a rematch with Martinez in the future.
The fight with Alvarez has no obstacles, but there is a lot of weight behind it: Turki Alalshikh, Canelo’s good position in the WBC and his number one ranking, and this is undoubtedly the most lucrative option for Mbilla. If a Mexican wants to prove himself, he has the opportunity to do so.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN on Wednesday that undefeated IBF heavyweight title qualifier Richard Torrez Jr. against Frank Sanchez on March 28, will be sidelined after Sanchez’s injury.
Torrez Jr. (14-0, 12 KO) was scheduled to face Sanchez (27-1, 18 KO, 1 No Contest) in the PPV opener of Sebastian Fundora’s WBC junior middleweight title defense against Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, Cuban Sanchez was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury. Sources tell ESPN that inflammation of Sanchez’s surgically repaired right knee will force the fight to be postponed to a later date.
Torrez Jr. and Sanchez are ranked No. 9 and 10, respectively, in ESPN’s heavyweight rankings. The winner would become the mandatory challenger to the title of Aleksander Usyk, who currently holds the IBF, WBC and WBA titles.
Usyk will put his WBC title on the line against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. Usyk recently stated that he has three fights left before he calls it a career, and the winner of Torrez and Sanchez is not on his list.
“Listen, Rico [Verhoeven] this is the first. Secondly, who will win, [WBO champion Fabio] Wardley or [Daniel] Dubois and the third fight is my friend, the greedy belly Tyson Fury,” Usyk told Inside the Ring.
Torrez Jr. beat Tomas Salk last November, and Sanchez defeated Ramon Olivas Echeverria via third-round TKO in February.
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