In a boxing showdown that’ll be gossiped about in gyms for weeks, Elijah Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs) stamped his authority with an eighth-round TKO, outclassing Armando Reséndiz (14-2, 10 KOs) in a bout that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Breathing heavily post-fight, a modest Garcia said, “Boy, that was a workout! Reséndiz? Solid as a rock. Hats off to him for the grit. It’s a no-brainer; this was the roughest and toughest evening I’ve spent in the ring. It’s like I poured every ounce of me out there.”
Reséndiz, visibly disappointed yet sporting about the defeat, reflected, “My corner had the strategy, I should’ve tuned in more. Got a bit lost in the moment, I guess. Elijah? He was just the better man tonight.”
The atmosphere was electric from round two, with both pugilists trading meaty blows like Black Friday shoppers grabbing deals. Reséndiz, for a moment, seemed to have Garcia in a twist, hammering him with relentless right hands. But Garcia? He’s no quitter. He retaliated, closing the round with some stinging power shots.
The ensuing rounds saw a cat-and-mouse chase, until Garcia played a clever game in round five. Adjusting his footwork and dodging the ever-moving Reséndiz, he found room to unleash his deadly lefts. And boy, did they connect! Garcia’s tally stood at 165 power punches to Reséndiz’s 102.
Replaying his game plan, Garcia shared, “Body, then head. Simple. I hadn’t been using my hook much. Seeing him rattled? Instinct kicked in. I just went all in. Those punches? Heavy and hard. He took them like a champ, but I saw my opening and took it.”
In a gripping showdown, Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez (23-0, 16 KOs) sealed a smooth fourth-round TKO win against Scott Alexander (17-6-2, 9 KOs). Though round one saw both fighters trading mighty punches, it was Sanchez who turned the tide with an early knockdown in the second round. By the close of round four, Sanchez unleashed a torrent of punches, leading to the referee’s call to end the duel.
Meanwhile, the card also spotlighted 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (24-3-1, 12 KOs) who clinched a majority decision over KeAndrae Leatherwood (23-9-1, 13 KOs) after an intense eight rounds in the middleweight division. But the real stunner of the night was Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs). His thunderous right cross in the second round was too much for Isaac Rodrigues (28-5, 22 KOs), with referee Tony Weeks stepping in just 54 seconds into the round, marking an early end to the fight.
The event was brought to life by veteran sportscaster Brian Custer at the helm of the SHOWTIME PPV. Meanwhile, the ever-energetic Mauro Ranallo brought the punches and jabs alive, with the backing of Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champ Abner Mares. And how could one forget the iconic trio? Emmy®-winner Jim Gray, the inimitable voice of Jimmy Lennon, Jr., and boxing encyclopedia Steve Farhood were there, ensuring no detail went unnoticed.