“I did take a break going by means of mental problems, problems went dark, I went by means of nervousness, deep melancholy, merely looking for to be strong,” said a visibly emotional Garcia. “It used to be as soon as the force of existence, being a excellent dad, merely letting it out presently, because it used to be as soon as all stuck inside. It rained on me for a three hundred and sixty five days and a component and the only strategy to do upper used to be as soon as to fight another time. I’m a fighter. If you battle nervousness and melancholy, you can get out of it, that’s what I did in this day and age. I fought.”

Philadelphia’s Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) has become a staple at Barclays Center ever since headlining the arena’s first boxing match in 2012, and his return on Saturday night time against Benavidez (27-2-1, 18 KOs), spotted him pick up his seventh victory in Brooklyn.

After runs as a global champion at 147 and 140 pounds, Garcia debuted at 154 pounds after a with regards to 20-month layoff. Known as a counterpunching a professional, Garcia went on the attack early and incessantly, targeting Benavidez’s body on his strategy to landing a career-high of 153 body photos consistent with CompuBox. Garcia’s superior hand and foot pace left Benavidez trailing him for some distance of the night time, taking a look to land correct hands over Garcia’s vaunted left hook.

Benavidez perfectly suited 2nd were given right here in round 9 when he connected on one of those correct hands and popped Garcia’s head once more, on the other hand he used to be as soon as now not ready to capitalize on the attack enough to change the trajectory of the fight.

“I’m happy with my potency,” said Benavidez. “I feel like I did excellent. I’m fighting in his backyard, one of the vital perfectly suited, I took his punches like they have got been now not the rest. I assumed I gained the fight. Alternatively it is what it is, a loss makes you stronger.

“It’s tough, problems don’t always go your approach, there are ups and downs. I you will have to be certain that, like when the doctor said I might in no way walk another time. I didn’t let that get to me. I saved on going.”

Basic Garcia ran up a 233 to 117 edge in punches landed and owned a 31% connect fee compared to Benavidez’s 20%. After 12 rounds, Garcia had finished enough to earn the decision thru scores of 117-11, 116-112 and a shocking 114-114. After the fight, Garcia credited his father and instructor Angel Garcia with staying thru his side all over his battle with nervousness and melancholy.

“Angel used to be as soon as there with me all of the approach,” said Garcia. “I’m now not the rest without this man. I thank him every day. Other people request from me all the time, why do I fight? I make a lot of money. Why does Warren Buffett however turn into successful? I’m a fighter. That’s what I do, what I cherish to do.”

Garcia moreover added two intriguing possible longer term opponents he need to face.

“I’d similar to the rematch with Keith Thurman, he took my ‘0,’” said Garcia. “I’ll moreover take [WBA Middleweight Champion] Erislandy Lara for the middleweight identify at 154 pounds.”

Throughout the co-main match, Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen (17-1, 12 KOs) scored a career-best victory by means of a unanimous answer (97-93 two occasions, 96-94) over Polish well-known individual and Brooklyn fan-favorite Adam Kownacki (20-3, 15 KOs) after 10 rounds of heavyweight movement.

“I in fact love fighting inside the U.S. and I actually like New York so I said quicker than you’ll see me additional,” said Demirezen. “I was nervous on account of he’s a powerful fighter and I will had been much better, nevertheless it indisputably’s my first time proper right here and he’d fought proper right here quicker than.”

In his 11th fight at Barclays Center, Kownacki rode the urging of his fatherland fans to a handy guide a rough get began as he focused Demirezen’s body frequently in round one. Since the bout stepped ahead, Demirezen flipped the script and ended up being the additional aggressive fighter, throwing 915 punches to Kownacki’s 851, while landing 239 power punches compared to Kownacki’s 186.

After back-to-back losses to Robert Helenius, Kownacki had used to be hoping to return to the win column and once more to his standing a number of the heavyweight contenders, on the other hand used to be as soon as grew to turn into once more during the determined Demirezen, who stopped Gerald Washington in January.

“I’m a little bit bit rusty, I think he used to be as soon as getting off first inside the exchanges, I didn’t’ sit down as so much, I think the rust carried out an element, being out so long,” said Kownacki. “I was out of the ring since final October, camp used to be as soon as excellent on the other hand I don’t know, I was letting him get off first, I wasn’t shifting my toes. I went once more to the out of date me instead of the main few rounds when I was doing excellent.

“I have two kids, I’ll have a prolonged be in contact with my partner to appear what I need to do. I’ve had such a large amount of fights proper right here, such a large amount of great memories, I don’t need to go out like a loser. I might actually like each and every different fight to leave my fans with a win.”

In round 10, Kownacki, with blood dripping from his left eye, another time used to be as soon as ready to hold his legion of fans to their toes as he put together a courageous effort in rocking Demirezen with a correct hand, forcing Demirezen to in brief fight on his once more foot. On the other hand, Demirezen recovered to win the round, and sweep without equal two rounds on all 3 taking part in playing cards to clinch the victory.

“I promised everyone a battle, and that’s what the parents got,” said Demirezen. “I beat him in his fatherland. I need to be an inspiration and a task taste for Turkish kids which have been staring at this fight. I am hoping I made them proud.”

Throughout the telecast opener, unbeaten rising well-known individual Gary Antuanne Russell (16-0, 16 KOs) delivered a sixth-round TKO (:50) over former two-division Rances Barthelemy (29-2-1, 15 KOs) in their super lightweight battle to stick his perfect knockout streak intact. Russell landed a clean leaping correct hook that dropped Barthelemy early inside the round, and while Barthelemy used to be as soon as ready to get to his toes, referee Shada Murdaugh waived off the movement, drawing boisterous court cases from Barthelemy, his corner and the gang in attendance.

“I know Rances is a high-grade, magnificence athlete and he wanted to continue,” said Russell, who published post fight that he hurt his left hand inside the fifth round. “Emotions had been over the top. Whether or not or now not we are bruised or overwhelmed, as a warrior, you always need to continue on the other hand the referee used to be as soon as doing his procedure and if he used to be as soon as allowed to continue it would had been the identical finish consequence. I might have were given him.

“Throughout the sixth round I had him backing up. I knew he used to be as soon as searching for his correct pass and I caught him backing up and I shot my hook and put him down, he used to be as soon as buzzed on the other hand he wanted to stick going. He’s a warrior.”

“This is necessarily probably the most bitter loss of my career,” said Barthelemy. “I’m destroyed. Don’t get me fallacious, this wasn’t Russell’s fault the least bit. I’m a veteran, and I’ve been by means of something like that somewhat a large number of cases in my career. The referee treated me like a rookie instead of the two-time international champion I am.”

The bout featured intriguing movement from two skilled southpaws, as Russell and Barthelemy went toe-to-toe in a compelling round one who spotted each and every men throw over 60 punches and every eat massive photos. Since the movement stepped ahead, Barthelemy used to be as soon as ready to hunt out success countering the hard-charging Russell, who dictated a large number of the fight’s pace.

The opponents threw inside of of five general punches of each other in line with round across the bout, in conjunction with combining to throw 361 power punches out of 515 general thrown. Barthelemy expressed his displeasure with the referee’s answer post-fight and staked his claim to a rematch against Russell. At the time of the stoppage, the score totals had been 49-46 two occasions and 48-47 in make a selection of Russell.

“No, they shouldn’t have stopped it,” said Barthelemy. “I felt excellent. It used to be as soon as a excellent shot, I’m now not denying that, on the other hand they shouldn’t have stopped it. I got up and instructed him I was improbable and excellent to move. Finally I would really like the rematch with a singular referee.”

Fighting for the main time for the reason that passing of his father and lifelong instructor Gary Sr., Russell used to be as soon as led in his corner thru his brother and former WBC Featherweight Global Champion Gary Russell Jr., as he turns out to continue his ascent inside the 140-pound division.

“I need to tell my father up above I did it for him, we’re going to stick it going for pops,” said Russell. “This is something my dad instilled in us, no matter what you go through in existence and lack of existence, two problems are inevitable, he raised us to be men and well-rounded men. Being thorough option to be in a position, and he in a position us for boxing and for existence out of doors of boxing. I thank my father and I did what I had to do.”

In live streaming movement prior to the telecast, SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN spotted top middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-4, 10 KOs) cruise to a unanimous answer over Joshua Conley (17-4-1, 11 KOs) thru scores of 99-91 two occasions and 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Bouts streamed live to tell the tale the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook internet web page moreover featured exciting rising prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. (12-1, 8 KOs) earning a sixth-round stoppage over Jimmy Williams (18-9-2, 6 KOs) in their super welterweight bout. The 20-year-old Mielnicki battered his opponent all over the frame until Williams’ corner stopped the fight 2:12 into the round. (Watch video highlight HERE)

The improvement used to be as soon as promoted thru TGB Promotions and DSG Promotions.

Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will replay Sunday, July 31 at 9 a.m. on SHOWTIME EXTREME® and Monday, August 1 at 10 p.m. on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile fight sports activities actions voice Mauro Ranallo handled blow-by-blow movement alongside Hall of Popularity analyst Al Bernstein and three-division international champion Abner Mares. 3 Hall of Famers rounded out the telecast workforce – Emmy® award a hit reporter Jim Gray, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr. and boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer. The executive producer used to be as soon as four-time Emmy award winner David Dinkins, Jr. with Ray Smaltz III producing and Bob Dunphy directing. Former junior middleweight international champion and SHOBOX: The New Generation commentator Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna served as a professional analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP). Veteran fight sports activities actions reporter Luke Thomas of MORNING KOMBAT, Marquez and well-known individual Philadelphia natives Jaron “Boots” Ennis and unified 122-pound international champion Stephen Fulton Jr. known as the live streamed bouts.