Garcia upsets Matthysse and the odds-makers in the process

Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia upset the odds-makers once again and turned in arguably the finest performance of his young career to date, defeating Lucas Matthysse by unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to retain his world light welterweight crowns. In a fight hotly tipped to produce a knockout and with the hard-punching Matthysse the heavy favourite to do so, Garcia showcased a solid chin, sublime boxing skills and thudding punching power of his own to keep his unbeaten record intact.

Garcia (27-0, 16 KO’s) closed Matthysse’s right eye midway through the fight and floored the Argentinian challenger in the eleventh round, going on to win by official scores of 114-112 (twice) and 115-111. That included a point deduction for the champion in the final round after he hit Matthysse (34-3, 32 KO’s) with a low blow, but even so the scores seemed a little closer than how the round-by-round action had truthfully transpired.

Matthysse was installed as a 1/3 favourite with the unbeaten lineal light-welterweight champion a 9/4 outsider, with most observers believing Garcia would be lucky to survive into the later portions of the fight. The 30-year-old challenger was riding an imperious six-bout knockout streak that included the scalps of highly rated Ajose Olusegun and Lamont Peterson, whilst Garcia’s opposition had been heavily criticised coming in despite making his third defence of his WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine 140lb straps.

The atmosphere was electric as the opening bell sounded to bring the protagonists to centre ring and though we were provided with a tentative opener, the action was simmering nicely throughout the first two rounds. Matthysse was pressing the action and Garcia retreating, but maintaining the distance and boxing well. When Lucas did get to Garcia with power shots, they drew gasps from the crowd but didn’t trouble the 25-year-old.

There seemed to be a realisation from Garcia that he could take the challenger’s vaunted power and although Matthysse began to close the gap, the champion was growing in confidence. He took the fourth round comfortably and was beginning to build an early lead. His jab was controlling the action and he began to mix it up with body work, whilst his movement and judgement of distance were fantastic. Matthysse’s power was the ever-present danger and he was occasionally getting through but Garcia gave as good as he got, quelling the Argentine with hard counter shots.

Matthysse would have a huge session in the sixth though and getting through more often he appeared to slow Garcia down, but like his Philadelphia mentor Bernard Hopkins, Garcia was proving he could take a shot. They breed them tough in Philly and that fortitude was needed with Matthysse coming back into the fight. It’s unlikely anywhere breeds them tougher than Matthysse however and he was coming on strong.

All thirty-six of the Trelew native’s previous opponents had taken a trip to the canvas and with half of the fight remaining and the pendulum swinging, the consensus prediction for a late Matthysse stoppage was perhaps looking more likely. But that would all change again in the seventh, when early in the round a grotesque swelling began to close the right eye of the challenger and unable to see what was coming from Garcia’s left, he was hit with a vicious combination.

If anyone was going to get the stoppage, it looked like Garcia, as with the eye fully closed the corner and the referee began to take a closer look. The warrior in Matthysse pleaded with his corner-men to let him continue however and they did a great job with the swelling to re-open the eye. Rounds eight and nine were one-sided in Garcia’s favour and he could afford to drop the pace, but back came Matthysse in the tenth. He took the round and came out flying out at the start of the eleventh, sending Garcia’s mouthpiece flying out of the ring with a monster right hand as the champion was backed against the ropes.

But Garcia was resilient again and with a champion’s response, turned the penultimate three minutes on it’s head, dropping Matthysse into the ropes with a clubbing right hand to score a knockdown. Lucas wasn’t hurt but his chances in the fight were as he clearly needed a knockout to win. That’s exactly how he came out to finish the fight in the twelfth and immediately rocked Garcia.

Both guys landed combinations, then Garcia caught Matthysse with the low shot and referee Tony Weeks had no option but to deduct a point having warned Garcia about the infringement earlier on. There were no real complaints from Matthysse, who took it like a man and again came back strong. The two traded fantastic exchanges right up to the final bell of what had was ultimately the show-stealing fight on the card.

Top billing was of course Floyd Mayweather’s clash with Saul Alvarez, with Mayweather comprehensively winning a decision and with his hugely impressive win at the top of the undercard, Garcia entered his name into the sweepstakes for Floyd’s next opponent. He’s continually been written off and was again here, but now Garcia’s labour is really beginning to bear fruit and a big money clash or at least a move to welterweight is surely next on the agenda for the undisputed king at 140lbs.