Getty Ryan Garcia is expected to make light work of Emmanuel Tagoe.
Ryan Garcia is the heavy favorite to make quick work of Emmanuel Tagoe when the two step between the ropes at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday night. Garcia is one of the most skilled lightweights in the world, but he still has plenty to prove following an absence from the ring that lasted 14 months.
Tagoe is viewed by many as an opponent handpicked to ensure Garcia enjoys a triumphant return. Yet, the 33-year-old Ghanaian has refused to be intimidated during the pre-fight build-up which also saw both fighters nearly come to blows.
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The fight card starts at 9 p.m. ET, with the Garcia vs Tagoe ringwalk set to begin around 11 p.m. ET. In the US, the fight can be watched exclusively on DAZN:
DAZN, which also includes GGG vs Murata (early Saturday) and Canelo vs Bivol (DAZN PPV, May 7), as well as other live sports, documentaries, on-demand content, classic fights and more, costs $19.99 for one month or $99.99 for a year.
Once signed up for DAZN, you can watch Garcia vs Tagoe live on the DAZN app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DAZN website.
Garcia vs Tagoe Preview
Things were more than a little testy when Garcia and Tagoe squared off at the pre-bout media day on Wednesday, April 6, per ESPN Ringside:
.@RyanGarcia and Emmanuel Tagoe almost went at it 😳 #GarciaTagoe
Tensions have been ratcheted up by Garcia telling Adriana Jimenez of Fino Boxing he expects “a destructive KO.” There’s no disputing Garcia’s punching power, especially when it comes to landing a range of damaging hooks, but Tagoe is refusing to be cowed by the tough talk and odds against him.
Tagoe is confident enough to predict an upset, per Scott Christ of SB Nation’s Bad Left Hook: “I respect Garcia’s ability but he’s accepted a challenge against one of the best fighters in the 135 lb division and, let me tell you, it’s a whole different ball game at this level.”
Tagoe’s confidence isn’t shared by Christ’s fellow writers at Bad Left Hook. Two of those scribes, Wil Esco and Patrick Stumberg, are predicting a sudden and emphatic knockout for social media star ‘KingRy.’
Esco, who dubbed Tagoe Garcia’s “cannon fodder,” believes the KO will come in the opening round. Stumberg believes things will last a little longer before Garcia drops Tagoe in the fourth.
Expectations are high for Garcia, who has changed the team around himself. Garcia replaced trainer Eddy Reynoso with Joe Goossen back in February, per talkSPORT Boxing Editor Michael Benson.
Goossen, 68, will be expected to impart some old-school wisdom to Garcia, the way he did for various other fighters, including Shane Mosley. What Garcia needs most is stability from his new trainer.
A determination to look after his mental health prompted Garcia’s decision to take time away from boxing. He revealed the extent of the issues during an interview with DAZN’s Kate Abdo, via Christopher Walker of the broadcaster’s official site: “Everything came crashing down on me. I was lost in my head and words can’t really describe how I felt. It was like being in a maze and didn’t know where to go. I’m just happy to be here. I’m thankful, I really am.”
Garcia had established a 21-0 record before his hiatus. Tagoe, on the other hand, is 32-1 with 15 KOs to his credit.
It’s the record of a highly competent fighter, and the weigh-in only emphasized how little there is to choose between Tagoe and Garcia, per Golden Boy:
Here we go!! Official weights for @ryangarcia and Emmanuel Tagoe are:
Garcia – 138.8lbs
Tagoe – 138.2lbs
It’s shaping up to be a closer tussle than many are expecting, but Garcia should eventually reassert himself and offer a reminder of his potential to dominate this division.