Ryan Garcia surges back to knockout Luke Campbell for interim lightweight belt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

It was what Ryan Garcia envisioned how his 2021 would start.

New year, new achievement. After months of hype and speculation about whether the flashy and energetic kid can handle the pressure against the more-experienced slugger in Luke Campbell, everyone had the answer with just one sweet punch after overcoming adversity.

During their interim WBC lightweight championship bout, Garcia and Campbell dueled it out in one of the most action-packed thrillers boxing has ever seen.

Campbell looked to close the show after sending the young Garcia down to the canvass with a sweeping left hook early in the second round.

But Garcia was quick to get up on his feet.

Desperate to earn a huge KO victory, Campbell hounded Garcia throughout the second round but wasn’t successful to put the exclamation point.

When Campbell’s camp thought they already had the grip in the bout, Garcia went back fiery hot and landed on several combinations that racked his score up to take the third round up to the sixth.

The curtains were closed once the seventh round took place after Garcia sized up Campbell and threw a devastating left liver shot that ended it all.

It took only one punch to end the bout in style which helped the 22-year-old prodigy’s record rise to 21 wins and 18 knockouts that solidified his case for a potential world title clash with the top lightweights in the future.