Ryan Garcia got back to winning ways on Saturday, beating Oscar Duarte via eighth-round TKO to bounce back from his first career loss.
Garcia, 25, came under criticism after his loss to Gervonta Davis in April, when the latter stopped “King Ryan” with a body shot in Round 7.
But Garcia got back in the winning column last weekend, producing a mixed performance against Duarte but finishing the fight with an impressive sequence.
The American dropped his Mexican opponent to a knee after a series of heavy hooks, and Duarte, 27, was slightly too late to beat the referee’s count.
“I fought hard to find myself again and I did a lot of soul-searching,” Garcia said after his win. “I’m committing to becoming a world champion.”
Garcia, a former interim champion at lightweight, fought the unbeaten Davis at a catchweight in April, before moving up to super-lightweight for Saturday’s clash with Duarte.
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