Chris Colbert’s world title aspirations suffered a massive blow last night in a huge upset loss to Hector Garcia.
The blue-haired super-featherweight was dropped for the first time in his career in round seven after Garcia connected with a big left hook. That was the icing on the cake for the Dominican who ran out a conclusive winner on points (118-109, 119-108, 118-109).
Garcia had been a late replacement opponent for Roger Gutierrez. Originally Colbert was due to challenge the Venezuelan for his WBA super-featherweight title. The champion had to withdraw due to a Covid outbreak in his team. Colbert v Garcia was then sanctioned as a WBA eliminator.
Colbert had little answer to Garcia’s wave of attacks that pounded the American’s head and body. In the early rounds the huge favourite decided to trade with Garcia, a 2016 Olympian, but he was simply playing into the underdog’s arms.
The pressure kept coming from Garcia who fully deserved his win to keep his unbeaten record intact. Gutierrez, who likely expected Colbert to come through this fight and face him this year, now has a completely different test on his hands.
It wasn’t the only upset on the night as boxing’s longest reigning world champion Jerwin Ancajas dropped his IBF super-flyweight title to Fernando Martinez.
Gary Antuanne Russell increased his world title credentials by stopping Ukraine’s former world champion Viktor Postol in the tenth round of their super-lightweight contest.
Image: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME