| |
|
|
7-1 Underdog Eridson Garcia Shocks
Alan Chaves In Dominant Upset Victory
Written off by the oddsmakers but never short on belief,
BiYu Promotions lightweight contender Eridson Garcia (24-2,
14 KOs) delivered the biggest victory of his professional
career last night, upsetting previously unbeaten knockout
artist Alan Chaves (22-1, 19 KOs) in a dominant 10-round
performance to capture the IBF International and WBO Latino
Lightweight titles at the Prudential Center in Newark, New
Jersey.
The event was promoted by Matchroom Boxing, broadcast live
on DAZN in the United Kingdom and TNT in the United States.
Entering the bout as a 7-1 underdog, Garcia refused to fight
like one. The Dominican Republic native put on a boxing
masterclass, using a brilliant jab, lateral movement,
distance and accurate combinations to neutralize the
dangerous Chaves. Garcia dropped the Argentine once in the
second round, twice in the fifth and again in the ninth on
his way to a commanding unanimous decision. The judges
scored the bout 99-87, 99-88 and 98-88, all in favor of
Garcia.
From the opening bell, it was apparent Garcia was in rhythm
and operating at his best. Armed with an 11-inch reach
advantage, Garcia controlled the fight from the outside,
repeatedly beating Chaves to the punch and using his feet to
prevent the heavy-handed Argentine from establishing a
consistent attack.
Despite entering with 19 knockouts in 22 victories, Chaves
had few answers for Garcia’s speed, accuracy and disciplined
boxing.
For Garcia, the victory was the culmination of preparation,
belief and an opportunity he was determined not to waste.
“I’m extremely grateful for this victory and for everyone
who gave me the opportunity to be in this position,” said
Garcia. “I knew people were looking at the odds and saying I
was the underdog, but I never looked at myself that way. I
respected Chaves because he was undefeated and had
tremendous punching power, but I believed in my skills and
in the work we put in. From the first round, I felt
comfortable. My jab was working, my movement was there, and
I was seeing everything clearly. I stayed disciplined and
followed the game plan. To drop a fighter like Chaves four
times and leave with these two titles is a blessing. I give
God all the glory.”
Garcia credited much of his success to an outstanding
training camp in the Dominican Republic alongside Coach Rene
Vazquez. The preparation centered on using Garcia’s physical
advantages while maintaining the discipline necessary to
avoid giving Chaves opportunities to unleash his power.
“Coach Rene Vazquez and I had a great training camp in the
Dominican Republic, and everything we worked on showed up in
the fight,” Garcia said. “We knew Chaves was dangerous, so
we couldn’t make mistakes or stand in front of him
unnecessarily. Coach kept telling me to trust my jab, use my
reach, move after my combinations and stay focused for every
second of every round. We trained very hard, but we also
trained smart. When I got into the ring, I felt prepared for
anything he tried to do. I’m thankful to Coach Rene and my
entire team because this victory belongs to all of us.”
Garcia’s execution was evident throughout the contest.
Rather than becoming reckless after scoring knockdowns, he
remained composed and continued using the tools that had
established his advantage. His jab repeatedly disrupted
Chaves’ offense, while his lateral movement and precision
punching allowed him to dictate where and how the exchanges
took place.
At 24-2 with 14 knockouts and now holding two regional
lightweight championships, Garcia believes defeating a
previously unbeaten opponent of Chaves’ caliber has changed
the trajectory of his career.
“This victory opens a new chapter for me,” Garcia said.
“Beating an undefeated fighter who was 22-0 with 19
knockouts and winning the IBF International and WBO Latino
titles is the type of victory that can change a fighter’s
career. I’m grateful because opportunities like this are not
guaranteed in boxing. You have to be ready when your name is
called, and I was ready. Now I want to keep improving, keep
winning and continue moving toward the top of the
lightweight division. I’m not going to get ahead of myself.
I’m going to stay humble, stay in the gym and let my team
guide me toward the next opportunity.”
Bobby Harrison, President of BiYu Promotions, praised Garcia
for embracing the underdog role and producing a performance
that Harrison believes will create significantly bigger
opportunities for the Dominican lightweight.
“What Eridson Garcia did was incredible,” Harrison said. “He
went into this fight as a 7-1 underdog against an undefeated
fighter who everyone was saying is the next great fighter
from Argentina, and he didn’t just find a way to win, he put
on a boxing clinic. The jab, the footwork, the distance, the
accuracy and the composure were all outstanding. The fact
that he dropped Chaves four times was insane. He controlled
the fight from beginning to end. The world got an
opportunity to see what we at BiYu Promotions already knew,
that Eridson Garcia is a serious lightweight contender.”
Harrison believes Garcia’s newly acquired IBF International
and WBO Latino titles, combined with the quality of his
performance, should put him in position for another
significant fight.
“This victory changes everything for Eridson,” Harrison
continued. “He now has two important titles around his waist
and a signature victory over an undefeated, dangerous
opponent. The next step is to capitalize on this momentum.
We’re going to sit down with his team, look at the
opportunities that become available and make the move that
gets him closer to where he wants to be, a world title shot.
He earned the right to be in the conversation with the top
lightweights, and we intend to keep putting him in
meaningful fights.”
Garcia entered the night as the betting underdog. He left
with four knockdowns, two championship belts and the most
significant victory of his professional career. For a
fighter who was given little chance by the oddsmakers,
Garcia didn't need to say much after 10 rounds. His
performance had already delivered the message. Eridson
Garcia is no longer an underdog to overlook.
|
|
|
