The first fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn surely didn’t disappoint as Danny Garcia continued to back up his words by exerting his dominance and winning the fight over Erik Morales with a fourth round KO. Read more after the jump.
Ending a 81-year absence of championship boxing in Brooklyn, Garcia took on Morales in front of over 11,000 people and despite Morales failing a drug test.
Garcia, 24, (25-0, 16 KOs) remained undefeated, earned $1 million and retained his two light welterweight belts, and proved that his youthful speed, power and quickness was far too much for the 36-year-old Morales. At 1:23 of the fourth round, he unleashed his left hand and caught Morales flush, spinning the fighter around, and sending him halfway through the ropes. Referee Benji Estevez had seen enough and ended the fight quickly.
Morales (52-9, 36 KOs) said he would return home to Tijuana and decide his future.
“I’m OK,” he said afterwards. “I was prepared to come in and get it done but I couldn’t do it. I never had or felt my movement. I couldn’t move.
Morales earned $300,000 for what he said would be his last fight in the U.S. “Time passes by and this is an early sign that it’s probably over,” he said. “This will be my last fight in the United States. “I want to go home to Tijuana and retire.”
-Bob Velin USA Today
