Ryan Garcia showed Francisco Fonseca no love on Valentine's Day.
The 21-year-old picked up his 20th pro victory by landing a picture-perfect left hook that crashed across Fonseca's jaw and sent Fonseca's head bouncing off the canvas for an instant first-round knockout. The dazzling KO, show live on DAZN, brought the raucous Friday night crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., to its feet as Garcia sent yet another message to the lightweight division.
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"I was planning for it to go longer," Garcia told DAZN's Chris Mannix after the win, "I'm not going to lie."
After needing just 80 seconds to deliver the knockout shot, Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) called the blow "a perfect left hook."
YES. @KINGRYANG JUST DID THAT. pic.twitter.com/yM6av30sqA
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) February 15, 2020
He then declared: "I'm ready for everyone now. I want everybody — let's go!"
To that, Devin Haney confronted him face-to-face in the ring and demanded a fight.
"Kingry" was game.
"We need to fight!" Garcia said with Haney by his side. "We're good fighters. Let's f—ing fight!"
While the prospect of the undefeated boxers fighting is mouthwatering, to say the least, Haney is still recovering from December shoulder surgery. Garcia's next opponent is likely to be Jorge Linares, who scored a knockout himself in the co-feature Friday night. Promoter Oscar De La Hoya said he has reserved Staples Center in Los Angeles for a Garcia-Linares bout in July.
Co-main event: Jorge Linares devastates Carlos Morales by fourth-round KO
Linares made the statement he needed to make Friday night. The veteran buried a left to the body and went upstairs with a lightning-quick right to crumple Morales, who tried to get up but couldn't rise by the 10 count.
Jorge Linares is BACK! pic.twitter.com/9l519vSfzx
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) February 15, 2020
Linares kept his end of the bargain to meet Garcia at the Staples Center in July, as per De La Hoya.
