Ryan Garcia silences critics and beats Javier Fortuna with a highlight-reel knockout

To say Ryan Garcia was full of emotion after a thrilling victory over Javier Fortuna on Saturday would be an understatement. 

After breaking a 15-month layoff and returning to action in April — a lopsided victory over Emmanuel Tagoe — many pundits criticized Garcia's performance. 

Garcia had stepped away from the sport due to his battles with anxiety and depression, which he has openly discussed as his professional boxing career began blossoming. 

Garcia never really took too kind to those kind of snarky comments

His victory under the bright lights at the Crypto.com Arena served as the perfect setting to address the topic.

"They told me I was some guy who didn’t care about boxing. And I’m some guy that makes up mental health (issues)," Garcia said. "(Addressing) mental health (issues) is a time to reflect on yourself and get better for the future. That’s not weakness, that’s strength. That’s courage." 

Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) and Fortuna were originally scheduled to square off at the same venue last July, but the Victorville native stepped away from the sport to manage his mental health. Instead, Fortuna fought Joseph Diaz Jr. and lost by unanimous decision. 

Fortuna bounced back from his loss to Diaz, just the third of his career, with a knockout over Rafael Hernandez on Feb. 20. 

Looking to make a statement and not please anyone other than himself, Garcia did just that with his signature left hook. 

Garcia used that punch to drop Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs) in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. 

"I know that I performed well for myself," Garcia said. "And I know that I was crisp, I was sharp and I stayed in my truth. I didn’t do anything crazy. I know how good of a fighter I am. I just had to put it all together and you seen that come together today."

Many considered Fortuna to be the toughest foe of his career, but Garcia seemingly didn’t have many issues. 

He established dominance early, beating Fortuna to the punch with his jab. 

Garcia turned up the action in the fourth, landing a perfect left hook to Fortuna’s rib cage. 

Fortuna dropped to a knee and just beat the referee’s count after spitting out his mouthpiece. 

Cantu halted the action, allowing Fortuna extra time to compose himself. 

Once the action returned, Fortuna dropped his hands, mockingly inviting Garcia to throw more punches. 

But Garcia kept his composure. 

Garcia caught Fortuna again with a left hook in the fifth round, this time to his right temple.

Fortuna again fell to the canvas and quickly rose back to his feet. 

A sharp three-punch combination, with a left hook to Fortuna’s chin, sealed the deal after referee Jerry Cantu waived off the fight after Fortuna spit out his mouthpiece for the second time. 

"I know that I was sharp," Garcia said. "I know how good of a fighter I am, I just had to put it all together."

Prior to the bout, Garcia’s long-running feud with Gervonta "Tank" Davis had been stealing the spotlight. 

Garcia hasn’t been shy in his desire to fight Davis and as expected stated he would like to fight him next. 

He even vowed to record the fight negotiation process, in case the mega-fight doesn’t happen. 

"I will fight Tank next," Garcia said. "That’s going to give me the respect I deserve. I’m never afraid. I have a spirit of competition in me and you’re going to see that come out when I fight Tank and whip his ass."

Just minutes after Garcia's victory, Davis wrote on Twitter "See y’all the end of the year." 

Daily Press reporter Jose Quintero may be reached at 760-951-6274 or JQuintero@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DP_JoseQ.