Former champ Danny Garcia returns from two-year layoff to beat Jose Benavidez in 154-pound debut
August 1, 2022
Danny Garcia took a 19-month, 26-day layoff from the ring. It didn’t show Saturday night in his super welterweight debut against Jose Benavidez Jr.
In fact, “Swift” looked as good as ever in his ninth appearance at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
The counter punching, the body work, the quick head movement and combination punches were all on display as Garcia made a point with a brilliant, 12-round majority decision over Benavidez atop a SHOWTIME tripleheader in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
The 34-year-old Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) won on the scorecards of judges Glenn Feldman (116-112) and Tony Paolillo (117-111) overruling Waleska Roldan’s 114-114 score.
“I did take a break, I was going through some mental things, I felt a little dark,” Garcia revealed, before being overcome by pangs of emotion. “I went through some anxiety and depression and I tried to do my best to stay strong.
“I think it was the pressure of life, the pressure of boxing, being a good dad. I’m letting it out right now, because I kept inside for a year-in-and-a-half. I still battle some days. I have some dark days, but I feel good now.”
Garcia hadn’t fought since losing a unanimous decision to undefeated, unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in December 2020. Against Benavidez, he boxed smartly from the opening bell and never relinquished control.
In the third round, Benavidez – who appeared to have a significant size advantage over the two-division champion – came alive with a right that caught Garcia on the side of his head.
By the fourth, Garcia had already landed 29 body shots. Benavidez simply could not catch him as Garcia worked the double jab to the head and body and followed up with combinations.
With one minute remaining in the fifth, Benavidez clipped Garcia twice, though that came after Garcia had pelted him with numerous shots, again working up and down.
“In order for me to be Danny Garcia, I had to be back in the ring and do what I love, to be a fighter,” Garcia said. “People ask me every day, you make good money boxing, why do you still fight? I feel like I’m a fighter, this is what I love to do.”
It showed. In the sixth, Garcia initiated the action with double jabs, controlling the pace and the distance. Benavidez’s frustration appeared to be growing. The onslaught continued in the seventh as the Philadelphia native slammed two straight rights into Benavidez’s face.
By the 10th, it seemed Benavidez needed a knockout. He tried going after Garcia, and in the final minute of the round, he lifted both in hands in frustration as Garcia stayed in the boxing mode. With :13 left, Garcia showboated a little for the crowd, swirling his right hand around as the final seconds ticked away. He shined in the last two rounds, unloading combinations to the delight of the Brooklyn crowd. The two fighters embraced at fight’s end.
“I’m happy with my performance, I thought I did a good job,” Benavidez said. “I’m fighting one of the best of the best. I took his punches. You see it didn’t hurt me. I honestly thought that I had won, but it is what it is. I’m not going to let this bring me down. A loss just makes you stronger.”
Indeed—and Garcia is proof of that.
