Spence proves just too tough
Welterweight champion dominates smaller Garcia to hand him first loss.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Now, he’s beaten someone. Now, he’s headlined a payper-view and generated an impressive crowd.
Now, Errol Spence Jr. is the man.
In an overwhelming, punishing display of skills multiplied by his physical advantages, Texas’ Spence cruised to a dominant victory over Oxnard’s previously unbeaten, four-division champion Mikey Garcia.
Spence (25-0) retained his International Boxing Federation welterweight belt and made a claim to pound-for-pound supremacy in front of 47,525 on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
He swept every round on all three scorecards, 120-107, 120-108, 120-108, while outlanding Garcia in punches (345-75), power punches (237-54) and jabs (108-21).
“I had the size advantage and I had the reach, so why not use it? It’s a weapon for me,” Spence said. “A lot of commentators thought he was too smart and I couldn’t box as well as him. I showed I can box. The game is to be smart. It’s the sweet science.”
Spence might be back soon. Watching ringside was eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, who’s fought here twice. Spence spoke to Pacquiao in the ring and said, “It’d be my honor to fight him next.” Pacquiao responded, “Why not?”
Pacquiao “has broken records here before. He’s a legend,” Spence said.
visions, following his lightweight title victory July 28 at Staples Center, to become just the third man in history to own both a featherweight and welterweight belt.
That extra gear that Garcia believed was housed inside him, his extended work with nutritional guru Victor Conte and the years of dedication to the craft that Garcia thought would carry him to triumph, did not.
Sure, there was grit, like his combinations at the close of the ninth round, when he was battered by head and body punches, but it only revealed his heart. It couldn’t hide the fact that he belongs at a lower weight.
Garcia acknowledged he had to urge his brother-trainer, Robert Garcia, not to stop the fight.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t pull it off. We’ll be back,” he said.
In the co-main event, David Benavidez (21-0, 18 KOs) battered J’ Leon Love (24-3-1) and finished him just 1 minute 14 seconds into the second round.
“I knew it was going to happen,” Benavidez said.
The heavy flurry answered the frustration of Benavidez losing the World Boxing Council supermiddleweight belt he won in becoming the sport’s youngest champion in 2017. He tested positive for cocaine, and Anthony Dirrell proceeded to capture the vacant belt.
Following the victory, Benavidez scanned the stadium and looked for Dirrell, whom he expects to meet in the summer.
“He can’t call himself champ until he comes to fight me,” Benavidez said. “I’m going to go get that belt back. That’s mine.”
Former bantamweight champion Luis Nery (29-0, 23 KOs) flashed speed and power that Puerto Rico’s McJoe Arroyo (18-3) couldn’t contain in getting knocked down four times before failing to answer the bell on the advice of his corner after the fourth round.
Nery, making his U.S. debut, satisfied those who’ve compared him to Pacquiao.
“I’m happy they make comparisons between me and Manny Pacquiao, and I’m even happier that he’s here to see me fight,” Nery said.
Former heavyweight title challenger Chris Arreola (38-5-1, 33 KOs) of Riverside opened the Fox pay-perview with a convincing victory by third-round technical knockout over Haiti’s Jean Pierre Augustin (17-1-1).
“Augustin is a hungry kid who tried to make a name off of me,” Arreola said. “I lose and I’m out, but I’m not going out. I touched him a couple times and saw he was hurt. I stayed calm and the stoppage came. I love fighting.”