Choice Victory- Ryan Garcia is crowned WBC interim champion

Young American Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) defeated Briton Luke Campbell (20-4, 16 KOs) by knockout in the seventh round, winning the interim lightweight title of the World Boxing Council, this Saturday at the “American Airlines Center” in Dallas, Texas.

But not without a hiccup,  as cherubic Ryan, unwisely rushed in; “Where Angels fear to tread, ‘ and suffered a knockdown in the second round, against the wily and more experienced Luke, winner of the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics. Initially a tad dizzy, Ryan got up, cupped his gloves into an elevated defense and gradually recovered, to  take back control of the fight.

The end came in the seventh round and was technically ruthless. A powerful left hook to the liver sent Campbell to one knee on the canvas, Judge Laurence Cole made the count and declared the Californian  victory.

“My performance definitely showed a lot of people who I really am,” said Ryan Garcia. “By getting into this fight, I wanted to show people that you are not what people call you. You are what you choose to be. I chose to be champion tonight. I didn’t let anything stop me from being champion tonight. Even when I fell to the canvas, I knew it couldn’t stop me from being a champion.”

“He has heavy hands,” Luke Campbell ruefully said. “Even when I was blocking shots, I could feel them. That was the hardest punch I’ve ever been hit with. I tried and tried to get up but couldn’t. ”

PHOTOS BY TOM HOGAN