Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna Boxing Betting: Will Garcia score another early KO?

Ryan Garcia is one of the hottest properties in world boxing, and the young American superstar returns to the ring when facing Javier Fortuna on Saturday in Los Angeles.

King Ry boasts a stunning unbeaten record, with many of his previous wins coming by knockout, but the Californian-born pugilist has fought only once since January 2021. Followers and critics are keen to see if Ryan is as good as his handlers claim or if an extended period of inactivity has brought him back to earth with a thud.

Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna Fight Information

• This is a non-title fight, but it is scheduled for the championship 12-round distance, proving Garcia is eager to get back to contesting and winning major honours.
• Javier Fortuna was born in the Dominican Republic, but the smart southpaw is now fighting out of Massachusetts.
• These warriors bring a combined 44 knockout wins, which has encouraged many to bet on Saturday’s bout not lasting the distance.
• Venue & Location: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California)
• Start Time: approximately 11 p.m. Eastern Time (8 p.m. local time)

Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna Odds

Odds are from BetOnline.

Moneyline (3-Way)

Ryan Garcia -1050

Draw +2000

Javier Fortuna +800

Garcia looks to maintain unbeaten record in 2022

Anyone with basic knowledge of boxing or professional sport will know who Ryan Garcia is. The American boxer is considered one of boxing’s future stars.

King Ry will duck between the ropes on fight night with an eye-catching 22-0-0 record, with 18 of his previous wins coming by KO/TKO, resulting in a fearsome 82% knockout average. He’s young, hungry, lightning-fast, and despite questions over his life outside the ring, he has already risen to the world champion.

Ryan won the WBC Interim lightweight world title last January with a well-deserved but hard-fought win over the UK’s golden boy Luke Campbell.

That bout involving two huge names of the sport took place at the American Airlines Center and was a thrill-a-minute contest with Garcia sent to the canvas in round two, only to clamber to his feet and score a seventh-round TKO over Cool Hand Luke. The beaten man was gallant, but we got the right result.

A fight years in the making

Garcia vs. Fortuna certainly isn’t the biggest fight of the year and isn’t even the biggest in Garcia’s career, but it has been a long time in the making, and many fans believed they’d never see the pair share a ring.

The pair were scheduled to meet last year with Garcia defending his title, but those plans were shelved after the American pulled out, explaining to fans that he needed a break and time to do what he called “manage his health and well-being”.

Ryan then ducked out of another fight when an injured hand forced the cancellation of his clash with Joseph Diaz.

That double call-off promoted critics to claim the interim champion lacked the desire and focus to be a legend of the game, with stablemate Saul Alvarez – the pound-for-pound ruler of boxing – asking why a young fighter would be away from the sport for so long.

Good things come to those who wait

Javier Fortuna has seen his shot at the title fall through twice, and it has been no fault of his own. He held up his end of the bargain; training, losing weight, paying sparring partners and living the life of a contender.

The 33-year-old blames his opponent for the wasted time and expense, but he has a chance to get even on Saturday. Beat Garcia in front of his fans, and the underdog will become an overnight sensation, flying up the rankings and pushing himself closer to a shot at the current champion and number one rated lightweight Devon Haney.

Fortuna has 37 wins on his record against three defeats and a draw. He was recently beaten on points by Joe Diaz but won by first-round TKO last time. El Abejon has a 60% KO average with 26 knockouts already on his card. And if he is to win on Saturday night, it’s unlikely to come via points.

Back Garcia to finish Fortuna early

Looking through Garcia’s recent record for clues as to how this matchup might go, we noticed only one of his last six outings has gone the distance and forced a decision from the scoring judges sat at ringside.

Four of those five wins by knockout have come in the opening five rounds, and we’re keen on another early night.

Breaking it down even further as we edge towards a decision on the best way to back Garcia, three of his five KO/TKO wins came in the opening two rounds, stopping Romero Duno and Francisco Fonseca in round one after dispatching Jose Lopez in round two.

You could play it safe and bet on this fight not to go the distance at -300 on the Bovada Sportsbook, but we’ll take a crack at a selection with bigger odds attached.

Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna Betting Tip: Garcia to win in rounds 1-6 (+220 at BetOnline)