The extremely talented Mikey Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs) is now a three-division world champion, following his third-round stoppage of Dejan Zlaticanin (22-1, 15 KOs) in Saturday’s Showtime Boxing co-main event. Garcia won the WBC lightweight (135 lbs) belt from Zlaticanin, and did so with a vicious knockout, which you can see at the top of the page. If you’re Geoblocked, you probably should just go to Deadspin.
Garcia was in full control of his fight with the man from Montenegro, and in round 3, he send Zlaticanin down for the first time in his career. A right uppercut and a left hand had Zlaticanin in major trouble, and one final right hand sealed the deal. Zlaticanin remained down for several minutes, with the celebrations at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas turning to concern for Zlaticanin. The medical staff gave him oxygen through a plastic mask, and shortly thereafter he was able to regain consciousness and sit up and make it to his stool. Certainly a scary scene after what will likely hold up throughout 2017 was one of boxing’s top knockouts.
The 29-year-old Garcia was absent from the ring for more than two years due to a (since settled) contract dispute and ensuing legal battle with Top Rank Promotions. Prior to the layoff, he had built up a very impressive list of wins against the likes of Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, and Roman Martinez. Along the way, he captured major titles at 126 lbs and 130 lbs, setting the stage for him to potentially become one of boxing’s next big stars. The Top Rank spat took the wind out of those sails, but Garca is back, he’s better than ever, and I can assure you that he’s must-watch television.
Get the latest gear
