Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna planned for July 16th in Los Angeles

Jake Donovan reports that more than a year after their planned meeting fell through, Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna have struck a deal to meet on July 16th at The Arena Formerly Known as Staples Center.

Not as nice as the Cruz fight, but still welcome.

The pair were first slated to meet last July 9th for Garcia’s (22-0, 18 KO) interim WBC lightweight title, only for “Kingry” to withdraw for mental health reasons. The belt was then up for grabs when Fortuna (37-3-1, 26 KO) took on late replacement JoJo Diaz, who handed “El Abejon” his first loss in 3.5 years via competitive but clear decision.

Garcia, for his part, stayed busy by cruising past Emmanuel Tagoe in April.

Even if both men have lost momentum since the first date fizzled, it’s still a solid matchup between very capable lightweights and, on paper, a similar level of test that Garcia faced against Luke Campbell. Garcia’s power and Fortuna’s explosive swarming should combine for an eminently watchable tussle.

It’ll also have a quality co-feature, as Juan Francisco Estrada is slated to defend his super flyweight titles against Joshua Franco that evening. Not a bad lineup at all.