A major lightweight boxing fight over one year in the making finally takes place at the Crypto.com Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend between Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna.
Originally scheduled for July 2021 before Garcia withdrew, citing mental health reasons, the two 135-pound fighters will finally get to get it on in the ring to decipher who the better boxer is.
We'll look ahead to the bout and take a peak at the betting odds in a lopsided bout to see if there's any value for you to earn some extra cash for the summer.
Boxing Fight information
- Saturday, July 16, 2022
- Crypto.com Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Lightweight (135 pounds)
- 12 x 3 minute rounds
Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna odds
- Ryan Garcia - (-900)
- Javier Fortuna - (+550)
This fight is sure to be entertaining, but according to the odds makers it won't be remotely close as the undefeated Garcia comes into the bout as a massive -900 favorite.
With a highly impressive 22-0 professional record, Garcia returned to the ring in April to earn a unanimous decision victory over Emmanuel Tagoe. Prior to that bout he had won five-in-a-row via knockout and is now ranked as the number 5 lightweight in the world by The Ring.
His heavily lopsided odds with BetOnline sports betting mean that you would have to bet $900 to see $100 worth of profit.
On the opposite side of the ring to him will be boxing veteran Fortuna, who comes into the bout with a professional record of 36-3-1 with two no contests.
In his last bout against Rafael Fernandez he earned a first-round knockout victory in February, and is ranked as the number 9 lightweight in the world by The Ring.
A huge +550 underdog with BetUS sports betting means a $100 bet would see you claim $550 profit should he hand Garcia the first defeat of his career.
Garcia vs Fortuna preview
Despite the incredibly heavy odds in his favor and his undefeated record, this will be the biggest test of young Garcia's career by a huge distance.
Last time out against Tagoe he showed that there were no issues with his mental state as he went the full 12 rounds and put on a dominant show against a veteran with two 119-10 scorecards and one 118-109 scorecard with the judges.
He was calm, focused, laser accurate with his jab and light on his feet, never putting himself in any danger and doing enough damage to make it clear he had won the fight. He will need to do much more of the same here once again in this bout also.
Fortuna will be a different type of test though. He has got big power in his hands, is a great mover himself and more importantly is a southpaw. He's also a former world champion, making him the highest level fighter Garcia has ever come up against.
The boxer from the Dominican Republic can be rather reckless with his strikes sometimes, looking to entice his opponent into a brawl. That's something that Garcia can't fall into the trap of, because Fortuna absolutely has the power to close the show early.
The next step towards greatness 👑⁰⁰Watch July 16 on https://t.co/k2xozfsD7M.⁰⁰#GarciaFortuna pic.twitter.com/THflAerF1S
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) July 8, 2022
Back Garcia to dominate in a boxing masterclass
This is a fight that is there for "The Flash" to win if he does what he's supposed to do and what we all know he's capable of doing.
He's the faster fighter of the two by a mile and has the reach advantage too, meaning he should be able to hit Fortuna more often and from places he can't be hit back throughout the fight.
Often though Garcia tends to rely on his speed more than his length, and if he does that then he must be wary of Fortuna's lightning quick and powerful counter straights.
With 18 of Garcia's previous fights ending via knockout during his career, he has the power to make Fortuna pay for his reckless approach and with a four-inch height advantage plus one-inch reach advantage he should be able to do that.
However, Fortuna has only ever suffered a stoppage defeat once before and that was way back in 2016 down at super featherweight (130 pounds) after a rough weight cut.
He has the chin and the durability to survive and with Garcia likely to avoid those wild exchanges a finish is unlikely here.
There are currently no prop bets available at the time of writing, but keep an eye on the market for a Garcia win on the scorecards to add value to your bet. Outside of that, a simple Garcia win will give you a small profit but it's probably worth avoiding that bet entirely if you're looking for a good return.
A win here should set up a fight against Gervonta 'Tank' Davis for Garcia and his team, in what would be a genuine super fight in the world of boxing at the back end of 2022 or the start of 2023.
Take a look at the best betting bonuses on offer here.
