Ryan Garcia got his hand raised, but he had to walk through some fire to do it. Inside a noisy Toyota Center, Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) grabbed the WBA Gold Title with an eighth-round stoppage over Mexico’s Oscar “La Migraña” Duarte (26-2-1). It wasn’t the highlight-reel knockout his fans scream for, but it was a fight that reminded everyone boxing isn’t just about flashy speed and Instagram clips.
More than 10,000 fans turned out in Houston, and millions tuned in on DAZN. They expected a quick kill. What they got was eight hard rounds where Garcia’s punches cracked, but Duarte refused to fold.
Duarte Took the Best Shots and Kept Coming
Garcia let his hands go early. Fast jab, sharp right, a couple of heavy left hooks. Usually that’s enough to make guys crumble. Duarte didn’t blink. He pressed forward with that old Mexican style, taking leather, returning fire, forcing Garcia to work when he would’ve preferred a cleaner showcase.
By round four, Garcia’s frustration showed. He landed flush combinations, but Duarte just kept walking him down, shrugging off punches most fighters don’t survive. The crowd could sense Garcia wasn’t cruising this time.
“He’s tougher than I thought,” Garcia admitted later. “I expected to get him out sooner.”
Garcia Finds the Finish
The breaking point came in the eighth. Garcia finally caught Duarte clean, backed him up, and unloaded. Duarte’s resistance gave way under the volume, and the referee had no choice but to step in. Garcia pumped his fists, but it was clear this was more grind than glamour.
Trainer Derrick James called it a step forward. “He stayed disciplined,” James said. “That’s what we needed. This was about patience, not just chasing a highlight.”
Benn Wants Rolly Next
Garcia made it clear post-fight where he’s headed. “I want Rolly Romero,” he said into the mic. “That’s the fight I’m looking at. World title next.”
The Romero fight is pure theater—two big mouths, plenty of ego, and just enough danger to keep it interesting. Garcia knows it’ll sell. Whether he’s ready for the real heat at 140 is still up for debate. Duarte showed he’s hittable, pushable, and not the invincible king his fans pretend.
Undercard: Houston Crowd Gets a Show
-
Floyd Schofield (16-0) wasted no time, dropping Ricardo “Explosivo” Torres three times in under two minutes for a first-round TKO.
-
Shane Mosley Jr. (21-5) picked up the WBA Continental Americas middleweight title after Joshua Conley refused to continue after six.
-
Darius Fulghum, the hometown kid, smoked Pachino Hill in two rounds to grab the WBA Continental USA super middleweight belt.
-
Asa “Ace” Stevens (6-0) won a tidy four-round decision over Dominique Griffin.
-
Gael Cabrera, ex-Mexican Olympian, demolished Alejandro Dominguez with a first-round TKO.
-
Sean Garcia, Ryan’s younger brother, kept his record clean with a decision over Joseph Johnson.
-
Danilo Diez debuted with a four-round points win over Jose Valenzuela.
