Ryan Garcia vs. Fernando Vargas – Results

By Boxing News - 03/22/2018 - Comments

Image: Ryan Garcia vs. Fernando Vargas – Results

By Allan Fox: Super featherweight prospect Ryan ‘Kingry’ Garcia (14-0, 13 KOs) scored a quick 1st round knockout over 29-year-old journeyman Fernando Vargas (32-14-4, 21 KOs) in a scheduled 10 round fight on Thursday night in a Golden Boy promoted card at the Fantasy Springs in Indio, California.

(Photo Credit: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions)

In the final moments of round 1, the 19-year-old Vargas connected with a right-left combination that put Vargas down on the canvas. Unfortunately for the boxing fans that came out to see the main event, there would be no getting up for Vargas. The fight was stopped right away. In looking at how bad Vargas was tonight, it’s hard to believe he challenged WBA World bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell for his title in April 2016. McDonnell stopped Vargas in the 9th round. It is unclear what Vargas did to deserve the title shot against McDonnell, as he’d lost four out of his last 10 fights going into the fight. The fight was over so quickly that there wasn’t much chance to see Garcia show off his boxing skills. His hand speed and power looked good, but he was in there with a poor opponent. This is not a good enough opponent tonight to gauge Garcia’s talent. Garcia did what he had to do against a dreadful opponent that Golden Boy picked out for him.

The result for tonight’s Garcia vs. Vargas fight was a predictable one. With as many losses as Vargas has accumulated in the last four years of his career, it would have been a major shock if Garcia hadn’t knocked him out in this fight. Vargas doesn’t belong at super featherweight. That much is clear. His best weight was bantamweight, but he grew out of that division 10 years ago, and he’s struggled ever since moving up.

Garcia looks good for a 19-year-old, but it remains to be seen whether he can hang with the top tier contenders in the super featherweight division. I wouldn’t want to see Garcia mix it up with the likes of Christopher Diaz, Miguel Berchelt or Alberto Machado right about now. With Vasyl Lomachenko moving up to lightweight, Garcia would have a chance of going for that strap eventually once he starts facing top level opposition in the future.

Golden Boy would be smart to take their time with Garcia, because he looks a little thin and not nearly powerful enough yet to mix it with the best fighters in the super featherweight division.

In other results on the card, junior middleweight prospect Aaron McKenna (2-0, 1 KOs) defeated Jose Palacios (1-2, 1 KOs) by a 1st round knockout. The fight was halted at 2:46 of round 1. Like the Garcia vs. Vargas fight, this was a terrible mismatch. Palacios wasn’t nearly talented enough to give McKenna a good fight.

Welterweight Eddie Gomez (21-3, 12 KOs) defeated KeAndre Gibson (18-2-1, 7 KOs) by a 2nd round knockout. Gomez knocked Gibson down with a right to the head early in the 2nd round. Gibson got back to his feet, but the referee halted it anyway.

In other results on tonight’s Garcia vs. Vargas card:

Joet Gonzalez TKO 5 Rolando Magbanua

Raul Curiel TKO 2 Quantavious Green

Eugene Lagos TKO 2 Emilio Sanchez