Johnny Garcia Shocks Yordenis Ugas
by Gautham Nagesh
Holland, Mich. junior welterweight Johnny Garcia hustled his way to an eight-round upset of Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas in a matchup of unbeaten prospects on the ShoBox opener from Tuscon, Ariz. on Friday night. Garcia got off the mat to secure a split decision over the 2008 bronze medalist through sheer grit and determination; he simply refused to stop throwing, despite an obvious difference in class.
Ugas showed better technique and crisper punches; though I didn’t score the fight, he appeared to get the better of the eight-round contest. The Cuban punctuated a fifth-round combination with a textbook straight right, which put the off-balance Garcia down on the mat. But that was the high point for Ugas, who once again showed a troubling tendency to take his foot off the gas after gaining a lead. That amateurish trait was on full display when I covered his last fight against Esteban Almaraz at the Hard Rock in January.
To his credit Garcia rebounded immediately and came right back for more. His aggression, higher work rate, and focus on the body impressed two of the three judges, and likely earned him better paydays down the road. Garcia is far from polished, but he has heart and the willingness to take risks, which should make him an appealing TV fighter. Hopefully he can build on this performance and hone his craft with a few fights before moving up in class.[[MORE]]
A buoyant Garcia said he was happy with his performance after the fight, regardless of what the result was. But the final score of 76-75 (twice) and 75-76 will surely make the journey home a little easier.
“He might have been more talented, but I out-worked him,” Garcia told me over the phone on Saturday from his hotel room in Tucscon.
“I keep getting called in supposedly as an opponent and winning.”
He has now beaten undefeated fighters in two out of his last three contests; the other win came over William Jackson in Cincinnati, a fight I covered ringside for Ring Magazine. Garcia called himself a “Road Warrior” and said he’s still looking for bigger and better offers, especially since he’s currently without a promoter. Regardless, he can look forward to a hero’s welcome when he gets home.
“Holland’s a small town, they’re going crazy already. There’s lots of parties” going on, Garcia told me. He’s fought at home twice, including once at the local Civic Center as the headliner in front of a crowd of 1500. Something tells me his next fight at home might be able to sell a few more tickets.
Garcia has the kind of style and underdog story that folks can’t help but root for. He won over the crowd, the announcers, and the judges on Friday night. Western Michigan is not exactly a boxing hotbed, but Garcia has a chance to be the biggest thing in Holland since Kirk Cousins left for East Lansing.