As with any fighter with a large fan base, the period leading up to the announcement of Ryan Garcia‘s new opponent was filled with speculation. Names such as Isaac Pitbull Cruz were bandied about as his next possible opponent, however, the truth has now come out. Garcia already knows his next obstacle to overcome on his way to the top of the 135-pound boxing weight class: Javier Fortuna.
The clash between the California native and Fortuna has been set for Saturday, July 16. Ryan Garcia will fight in the warmth of his home crowd as the bout will take place at the Crypto Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center, in Los Angeles.
The fight against Javier Fortuna will represent the second presentation of King Ry so far in 2022, after he defeated Ghana’s Emmanuel Tagoe by UD last April, in his return to the ring after more than a year of absence from professional boxing. Garcia is one of the most exciting prospects in the Lightweight division, which features champions like George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney, and top contenders like Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko.
Who is Javier Fortuna, Ryan Garcia’s opponent in his next fight?
Javier Fortuna’s 33rd birthday will be a very different one, as he has two options: either celebrate outrageously a day later with a resounding win over Ryan Garcia or overlook it. Fortuna was born on July 15, 1989; he will be facing King Ry on July 16 in Los Angeles.
The boxing career of Fortuna, a native of the Dominican Republic, is quite decent. For starters, he has one achievement to boast of: his status as a former World Super featherweight Champion. The also known as Abejón (drone/bee) was the holder of the WBA belt at 130 pounds in 2015. He made two defenses before losing it to Jason Sosa by TKO in 2016.
Currently, Javier Fortuna has a record of 37-3-1, 26 KOs, which is nearly twice as many fights as Ryan Garcia (22-0-0, 18 KOs). Definitely a factor he should use to his advantage when facing the American prospect. In his last 3 fights, the Dominican fighter has 2 wins (Antonio Lozada, Rafael Hernandez) and a loss to Joseph Jojo Diaz
Javier Fortuna, Dominican Boxer. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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