Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell full highlights
Jan. 2, 2021 — Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Video Transcript
- We are live in downtown Dallas, Texas, the American Airlines Center, and it is now time for our main event of the evening. It's our tale of the tape. Ryan Garcia, 22 years old, he's on a rocket ship to super-stardom if he wins tonight. 20-0 with 17 KOs. His reach, identical to Luke Campbell, who's been at the elite level of this division for a while. He wants to stay there.
Campbell, with a left to the body.
- Garcia's punching so sharp right now. Laser sharp. And right now, Campbell is looking to time that sharpness.
- Oh, a straight right hand from Garcia, and that got Campbell's attention. How does Ryan's style stack up against a southpaw?
- Well, right now, that was a little trip-up of the feet. And you're going to see a lot more of that, whenever you see a southpaw and an orthodox fighter.
- Yeah, and you know, southpaws can be tricky to box for orthodox fighters. This is the first southpaw Ryan's fought in three years. But Ryan told us this week he loves fighting southpaws, because he thinks there's more ways to knock them out.
Because he has the two best weapons against southpaws, a fast jab, and a counter left hook. That check hook, that's going to keep Campbell at bay for a while. It's instinctive. That punch is instinctive by Ryan Garcia. It just snaps out without thinking.
Garcia has to be careful not to get overeager, because, Campbell, who never makes predictions, said "I'm going to knock this kid out," so he's thinking power punch as well. Garcia told us that his style, he believed would work better against southpaws. You buy that, Sergio?
- Well, listen, I have never heard of fighters-- especially a young fighter --says that he prefers fighting southpaws.
- Well, look at Garcia, heating up in the corner. Campbell, trying to just avoid and block.
- But whenever you have a jab like Ryan's, and a left hook like that, maybe that's why he prefers fighting left-handers, because those are the two best punches against southpaws.
- Garcia-- or excuse me, Campbell --knows he's going to have to deal with some of those flurries-- those quick hands. It's just how well can he deal with them?
Sergio, what do you think of the footwork you've seen in the first couple of rounds? We see Campbell up on his toes. Garcia, much more flatfooted. Seems like he wants to--
- Oh, that's it! Sends the kid down.
- And that's what he was setting him up for. Luke was looking for that overhand left. Now we're going to see what this kid is made of.
- An absolute stunner. And look at the face of Campbell, as if to say, you wanted me, I'm here, you got me.
- I mean, it kind of flows into what I was just talking about, guys. The flat feet of Ryan Garcia. He's planted there, not moving away from those shots.
- And Luke, staying cool. I love this. The discipline. He knows he has the younger fighter hurt, but he's not going after him yet.
- What must be going through Ryan Garcia's mind? He's never been in trouble, much less been knocked down.
- It's fight or flight, if you're Ryan Garcia. And it was that jab downstairs that brought the right hand down of Ryan Garcia there. He took that punch well. He got up, and reacted, but what a left hand by Luke Campbell.
- Right on the money. Right on the button.
- At first glance, I thought maybe the flash got caught by a flash-knock-down, but there was nothing flash about that.
Ryan answers back. All in all, though, Garcia handled the aftermath of that knockdown pretty well.
- Yeah, he did extremely well. Got up, survived the round, came back. [INAUDIBLE] won that third round is doing good work-- and most of this one.
- Beautiful move right there by Campbell, pivoting away, not getting away too far, coming right back at Garcia. And the reason we haven't seen Garcia unleashed like you said, Todd, is because Luke Campbell is using ring generalship. If anyone doesn't understand what ring generalship is, you're seeing it right now. We're not letting Garcia plant his feet to get that power and that speed.
- Ooh, and there's a nice little flurry for Garcia.
- Beautiful combination by Garcia, not falling off balance, all with speed.
- Has Campbell perhaps gotten a little complacent, after that knockdown? It seems like Garcia is winning these rounds.
- No, I think Campbell is looking for that same short right hook again. But this was a good round--
- He's copping the left look right at the bell, and Campbell was ready to go down.
- And that's Garcia's best punch, that. It's that snappy left hook.
- The refs may have kept him up.
- Right on the temple, and that's that instinctive left hook that Ryan Garcia is known for. How will Luke Campbell react after that punch?
- We're in Texas, and this has become an old western shootout. Ryan Garcia knows he's got Campbell a little bit weakened here. He's letting his hands go. The crowd is rising up. Campbell's corner, telling him "Get your composure. Find your legs. Stick and move."
- It's all basically code for survive at this point, starting the round.
- Garcia can't be all guns and glory, though. We saw earlier, Campbell has that one punch that can put him on his backside.
- Yes he does, but look. This is the thing about fighters like Ryan Garcia and Oscar De La Hoya. They're pretty boys with a mean streak, and they go after the knock-out when they have their opponents hurt.
- And in between that flurry right there, looked over at the corner. Ryan Garcia with Canelo Alvarez sitting right behind them, all of them, basically putting their hands up, telling Ryan Garcia to relax. Don't get too aggressive.
- Garcia is really the aggressor in this fight, but Campbell is showing all his boxing skills, and staving there brilliantly after being horribly hurt by the end of the round. I've got Garcia just a point ahead. But so many of these round are close. But I do really think that Luke Campbell needs to start pressurizing Garcia back, for me, to get back in this fight.
- I see Ryan Garcia winning rounds, except for that second round, like Chris mentioned. But I can see Luke Campbell winning in some close rounds, but right now, Ryan Garcia is in control. And you can see the way his body language is reacting, coming forward with no respect.
- Eddy Reynoso was saying to Ryan Garcia, "You're younger--"
- The body shot.
- Pushed him, and he goes down. And now Campbell is down on a knee-- two knees! He's asking questions. He's asking, "Do I want to get up?" "Can I get up?" It is over! Ryan "KingRy" Garcia!
- Bernard Hopkins knocked out Oscar De La Hoya with a vicious body shot. That body shot looked just as pretty.
- Campbell was able to get up from Lomachenko's body attack, but not from Ryan Garcia's body attack.
- Was he more style than substance? That was the question asked before the fight. What's the answer?
- He is all substance. He took a hit, he went down, he fought like a champion, and he knocked out a fighter that has faced top competition, and has never been knocked out before.