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Garcia KO’s Fonseca;
Linares Manhandles Morales
By Albert Castillo
Photo: Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy
From the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Golden Boy
Promotions and DAZN put together a decent 8-card lineup.
In the main event of the evening Instagram sensation and
top contender, undefeated “KingRY” Ryan Garcia (20-0, 17
KO’s) used a devastating left hook to punctuate a huge
knockout at 1:20 of the first round to put away former 2
time world title challenger, Francisco Fonseca (25-3-2,
19 KO’s).
Fonseca never even had a chance to warm-up or even break
a sweat. Following a Fonseca right hand that fell short,
Ryan countered with a perfect left hook that laid out
Fonseca flat on his back. In Post-fight comments Ryan
called out Jorge Linares, Luke Campbell, and Devin Haney
aiming for an eventual world title shot.
Fighting father time at 34 years of age former
three-time world featherweight champion Jorge Linares
(47-5, 29 KO’s) demonstrated that he is still a fighter
to be reckoned with. He destroyed Carlos ‘The Solution”
Morales ( 19-5-4, 8 KO’s) with a ferocious right hand
that left Morales sitting on the canvas floor with no
chance of getting up at 2:03 of the fourth round.
Morales had no solution for cracking the defense and
offense of Linares. The fact that Morales lasted four
rounds was remarkable. Morales even connected with a few
combinations of his own opening a cut over the left eye
of Linares.
However, Linares is on another level and the match up
resembled a man vs boy contest. Morales had never been
knocked out but he had never faced someone of Linares’
caliber. Will Ryan Garcia be the next opponent for
Linares? The fight may be made for July of this year.
Santa Ana’s undefeated top prospect Alexis Rocha (16-0,
10KO’s) scored a unanimous decision over Brad Solomon
(28-3, 9 KO’s) to maintain his World Boxing Council
Continental America’s Title. Slick journeyman Solomon
was a nice test for Rocha and Rocha passed this test
with aplomb.
Champ Rocha turned Solomon into a vassal state replete
with a left hook to the jaw that dropped him in the last
round. Solomon made the ten count and fought back in
order to hear the final bell. As the scorecards were
read a jubilant crowd backed the decision with
resounding cheers that rocked the rafters. Hometown
favorite Rocha was far ahead on all the cards, 100-89,
99-90, 97-92.
In the DAZN TV Opener Blair “the Flair” Cobbs (14-0-1)
of Las Vegas, Nevada scraped by with a split decision
win over Nigerian pugilist Samuel Kotey (23-3, 16 KO’s)
to maintain his NABF Welterweight Title. The fight began
with audience woos and whistles and ended with boos and
fizzle. After a slap and tickle third round a chorus of
boos set in inspiring the fighters to engage in ten
seconds of action. Because of the inaction in the rest
of the fight there was no deserved winner and judges
must have had a tough time scoring this bout. In the
eighth round a low blow from Cobbs cost him a point.
This contest was uncharacteristic of Cobbs who has been
known to go toe to toe. Instead he circled the ring for
most of the fight until Kotey threw up his arms in
frustration and asked him if he was going to fight or
not. The tenth round couldn't come soon enough and the
post-fight interview with Cobbs could not be heard over
the deafening boos of the crowd. Judges scorecards read
95-94 for Kotey while the other two had it 96-93 and
96-93 to give Cobbs his 14th win and he remains
undefeated.
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