Mikey Garcia, Chocolatito and JC Martinez All Win in Texas

Mikey Garcia returned to Texas with vengeance and returned to his winning ways with a convincing victory over two-division world champion Jessie Vargas by unanimous decision on Saturday.

Despite his first loss a year ago, Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) proved he can defeat a former world champion welterweight by knocking down Vargas (29-3-2) and commanding the 12-round fight in front of more than 8,000 fans at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.

It was in nearby Arlington, Texas that Garcia tasted his first loss and early in this fight against Vargas he looked a bit tentative as Vargas strafed him with strong jabs to the body and head. For a few rounds Garcia looked too small to deal with the former super lightweight and welterweight world titlist.

“I had to make adjustments to his size and reach,” said Garcia, who was making his first appearance in the boxing ring since a loss to current welterweight world titlist Errol Spence Jr. on March 16, 2019. “But as the fight went on I made adjustments and I hurt him.”

Garcia began closing the distance in the third round and by round five he was able to connect with pinpoint combinations. A sizzling left-right combination straight through Vargas’ guard dropped him in the corner. He managed to beat the count and survived an onslaught of Garcia blows as the bell rang to save him.

“I really got over-confident,” said Vargas.

After the knockdown, it took Vargas a few rounds to regain the strength in his legs, but he was able to use his jab and right to the body and head. It proved just enough to prevent Garcia from overrunning him.

But it was not enough.

Garcia almost ended the fight in the seventh with several one-two combinations followed by an eight-punch combination that nearly overwhelmed the Las Vegas fighter. But he survived.

“Jessie Vargas is a big man,” said Garcia admittedly. “But my talent was able to overcome it.”

Though Garcia occasionally hurt Vargas, the taller fighter did remain standing and was able to score blows during the last four rounds of the fight. But it was never enough to regain the momentum.

After 12 rounds one judge scored it 114-113 and the other two 116-111 for Garcia who wins a regional welterweight belt.

Talks between Matchroom Boxing and Premier Boxing Champions suggest that a future match between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Garcia looms later in the year.

“I think it’s very likely,” said Garcia of facing Pacquiao. “I carried weight a little better in this fight.”

Chocolatito

Legends never die especially if your name is Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) who proved that at only 32 he has much more to give in knocking out Khalid Yafai (26-1, 15 KOs) to win the WBC super flyweight world title.

Chocolatito is back.

England’s Yafai walked in knowing he was expected to handle the former four-division world champion Nicaraguan. But you still have to fight the right type of battle. It turned out he was no Sun Tzu.

Yafai tried to strong arm his way to victory and fell right into Gonzalez’s strength; an arm’s length, pitched battle is what made the Nicaraguan the recognized best fighter pound for pound in 2015. Now Yafai understands why.

Gonzalez used his left hooks, uppercuts and jabs to pummel through Yafai’s guard early in the fight. The British champion never could use his strength or speed as he had successfully done in 26 prior fights.

By the sixth round it was apparent that Gonzalez was gaining momentum and Yafai seemed puzzled. A clash of heads slowed the Nicaraguan’s momentum but only for that round.

In the seventh round Gonzalez began unloading combinations on Yafai who tried to return fire but mostly hit air. In the eighth round Gonzalez battered Yafai with a six-punch combination and had him moving backward when Gonzalez connected again to floor the champion in a neutral corner. He beat the count.

Yafai looked to regain the momentum but was caught by a Gonzalez counter right to the chin and down went the champion. The referee waved the fight over at 25 seconds of round nine making Gonzalez a world champion again after more than three years.

A subdued Gonzalez expressed heartfelt gratitude for re-gaining the world title.

“God gave me back my title,” said Gonzalez who last held a world title when he defeated Carlos Cuadras for the WBC super flyweight title in September 2016. “I was expecting him to move but he surprised me. But I was prepared for anything.”

Martinez Retains WBC title

Mexico’s Julio Cesar Martinez (16-1, 12 KOs) and Wales’ Jay Harris (17-1, 9 KOs) smashed each other for 12 rounds in a give and take firefight that never slowed. But a Martinez knockdown in the 10^th round via a body shot separated the two flyweights and the Mexican fighter departed with the WBC flyweight world title by unanimous decision.

It was a closely contested battle that showcased Martinez’s unorthodox combinations to the head and body from both a southpaw and orthodox stance, but proved indefensible.

Harris never gave in despite getting bloodied in the first round. The Welsh fighter used his height and reach to score from precise combination punching, but it was the harder blows from Martinez that separated the two gritty flyweights.

Martinez was able to score with the heavier punches throughout the fight and showcased uncanny speed that seemed to surprise Harris. But the Welsh fighter adapted after five rounds but never was able to hurt the much shorter Mexican fighter and that proved to be the difference.

After 12 rounds the scores were 118-109, 116-111, 115-112 for Martinez.

For the first time since June 2017, Martinez was forced to hear the score cards.

“He was a good strong fighter,” said Martinez. “I know why he was undefeated.”

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