LAS VEGAS – Erislandi Lara and Danny Garcia each claimed a middleweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in resounding victories. Said to guarantee their place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. That’s always a difficult argument to make persuasive – both men are on the bubble for induction – but it’s safe to say the nine rounds that unfold between them on Saturday won’t help matters. to improve their case
Maybe that’s not fair. Lara and Garcia are two highly successful professionals who have achieved success at the highest level of the sport. But style breeds fighting. and the expectations of two veteran fighters One person is at his best when his opponent opens the game. and another where the game depends on timing and counterattacks. must meet in the ring Especially when their combined ages of 77 always threaten to be something smelly. And it has been proven.
Even so This was a relatively uneventful match, with the T-Mobile crowd starting to whistle in the first round and cheering loudly at various points throughout, including at the very end. Most of the blame can justifiably go to Lara. This is because he faces a career 140- and 147-pounder fighting for the second time in four years. And who might have been expected to step on the gas – but he seemed completely satisfied with his performance.
“I feel like I boxed beautifully,” he said afterward. “It’s a work of art like Picasso.” The crowd booed as much as they booed at the competition.
Really, where do I begin to explain this fight? Round-by-round summaries cannot be cut short. This is because there is hardly any recording taking place. Except for the summary frame There are differences and wrinkles from one round to the next. But the basic summary is that Lara mostly occupied his spot in center ring while Garcia circled him. The two men flicked their probing jabs in each other’s direction. And sometimes – very occasionally – a look, followed by a powerful punch.
Lara (31-3-3, 18 KO) has always been a crafty junior middleweight. has reinvented himself as a fun middleweight. This was because his legs had lost some of their ability to glide around the stage. But when there is no willing dance partner He was back to being the same old Lara: happy to do whatever he felt was necessary to avoid defeat. The crowd might not be appetizing, though.
Garcia (37-4, 21 KO) had so many reflexes that Lara’s punches were sent flying several times. But it wasn’t enough to really do anything in response. The punches he throws are usually ineffective and are rarely delivered with any force. In many a boxer’s life, they enter the ring one day and find that they simply “just don’t have it”. surprised and shocked And for Garcia – competing at his most successful weight of 20 pounds after stepping into the ring just once since 2020 – this could be that night. Angel, his father and trainer look worried. Asking if he was okay on one trip to a street corner. And when his son showed the first real signs of not only being unable to throw anything with malice, But still unable to avoid or endure what eventually came back to him. He pulled the plug.
That moment came towards the end of the 9th round after Lara started to gain a little offense and tagged Garcia a few times. The end seems to come out of nowhere. Lara backs Garcia up on the ropes and throws punches that don’t seem particularly important. But it made Garcia blush. Garcia sank slightly. He seemed to consider his situation for a moment and then knelt down on one knee. He beat referee Thomas Taylor’s count, but he immediately stomped his feet back into the corner. His father made it clear that enough was enough.
“I’m OK,” Garcia said afterward. “I don’t think the layoff would affect me like that. But there’s no excuse. I can’t find my rhythm He jabs hard and he controls his distance well. I tried to conquer Division 3 but failed. I’ve been on top of my game for a long time. I will take this on the chin like a true champ.”
Kieran Mulvaney writes, broadcasts and podcasts about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic and has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic. And the happiest was hanging out with the polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com–
