Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna confirmed for July 16

The 23-year-old Californian has the potential and the knockout capability to be one of THE box office superstars of the next decade after building a 22-0 record (18 inside distance) in a stacked lightweight division.

Garcia vs Gervonta a potential blockbuster

There are several massive fights out there for Garcia at 135lbs, and he has already mooted a potential blockbuster with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in December.

‘Tank’ maintained his unbeaten record with a highlight-reel sixth-round stoppage of Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero last Saturday, and now Garcia will bid to respond when he finally locks horns with Fortuna (37-3-1) in July.

Garcia vs Fortuna had been first planned for July 2021, but Ryan was forced to pull out to deal with mental health issues. He returned in April to post a convincing decision victory against Emmanuel Tagoe.

Now he is delighted to finally be taking on two-time former world champion Fortuna at last.

Garcia: This is the fight I wanted

He said: “If there is any doubt I was hesitant to fight Fortuna a year ago, that will all be made clear after our fight.

“This was the fight I wanted and now it’s time. I am so grateful to my friends, family, and especially my fans for their support. I have never felt better, stronger, and more motivated. It’s time to silence all the doubters and it starts on July 16.”

Fortuna, for his part, isn’t worried by Garcia’s reputation or his punching power, explaining: “I trust my team now more than ever and have full confidence in my coach Belvin García, who I consider my family. Together, and with God on our side, I know we will hold up our hands high in victory on fight night.”

Garcia has something of a young Oscar De La Hoya about him, and it just so happens he has the original ‘Golden Boy’ as his promoter. The former six-weight world champion believes it is now time for his protege to really announce himself at the very top level.

“It’s time to show the world Ryan Garcia as an elite level fighter. This fight against Javier Fortuna will not only be a tough fight, it will show the world how talented he is.“

After a spectacular performance against top-ten lightweight contender Emmanuel Tagoe in April 2022, Ryan Garcia proved he still is a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division.

Originally scheduled to face Fortuna in July 2021, Garcia was forced to bow out of the event due to mental health struggles. However, he has defeated almost every top contender via knockout, including a seventh-round stoppage of 2012 Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in 2021.

His amazing undefeated career with 18 knock-outs inside the ring, including his spectacular shutout performance against Emmanuel Tagoe has earned him a spot as one of the lightweight divisions top stars of our time.

Now, the 23-year-old, undefeated lightweight sensation is on a mission to prove he has what it takes to defeat the division's elite.

Ranked in the top 10 of the lightweight division by ESPN.com, the WBC, and The Ring Magazine, Javier Fortuna is a dangerous lightweight contender with a lot to prove on July 16.

The 33-year-old southpaw is a former two-time world champion who previously held the WBA Interim Featherweight World Championship and the WBA Super Featherweight World Championship.

Fortuna was last seen in a spectacular first round stoppage of Rafael Hernandez in Santo Domingo, DR this past February and will be looking to have another spectacular performance when he faces Ryan Garcia on July 16.

Garcia vs. Fortuna is a 12-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Sampson Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline - Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, July 16 and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.