Ryan Garcia knocks out Javier Fortuna, calls out Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney for 140-pound bouts

Following a disappointing performance in April, Ryan Garcia impressed against a far better opponent on Saturday with a sixth-round knockout of Javier Fortuna in a 140-pound bout in Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old star floored Fortuna in Rounds 4, 5 and 6, all the result of Garcia's lightning-quick left hook. The first knockdown was produced by a body shot — and set up by a feint — but the following two hooks crashed into Fortuna's chin.

After the last knockdown, Fortuna received the referee's 10 count on one knee, the end of the fight coming 27 seconds into Round 6.

«I know that I was sharp.… I know how good of a fighter I am, I just had to put it all together,» said Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs). «The fight speaks for itself.… When I face harder punchers, I box better.… I hit hard; it doesn't take a lot to hurt somebody.»

Garcia is ESPN's No. 6 boxer at 135 pounds, but his last two fights have been contested at 140, a weight he said he's far more comfortable at.

«I'm not going back down to 135 for nothing, but I will fight 'Tank' next,» Garcia said, referring to a super fight with Gervonta Davis. «If 'Tank' wants it at 140… let's get it.»

Davis, also a star fighter, campaigns at 135 pounds, but did fight at junior welterweight once, an 11th-round TKO of Mario Barrios last June.

A matchup between Davis and Garcia is one of the biggest commercial events boxing can deliver, but consummating a deal won't be easy, given the promotional and network divide. Davis is aligned with PBC and fights on Showtime, whereas Garcia is aligned with Golden Boy and fights on DAZN.

Whomever Garcia fights next, he plans to fight December, and it's apparent he's improving after a tumultuous 2021.

Following a January 2021 TKO of Luke Campbell in a