You're Julio Garcia ... a risk taker that gambled and won while defecting from Castro's Cuba on an inflated raft ... and with an oversized heart you arrived at the promised land.

You're Julio Garcia ... you embarked on a pro fight career without so much as a single amateur bout ... and along with that big heart and spirit you tagged on a catchy moniker ... and would be known as "The Cuban Lover."

You're Julio Garcia and from the get-go you gave up height and reach to most foes ... along with the celebrated heart you caught the fight fan fancy with a style similar to past heavy champ Smokin' Joe Frazier.

And coming into last noche's giant step up the pugilistic ladder with stylish veteran and top rated IBF jr. welter JC Candelo, the resume read 25-1-2 with 11 stops ... it was the non-stop punching with both hands from the bob & weave that had worked on twenty-five prior outings.

You're Julio Garcia the risk taker ... the new rankings had moved you to number nine on the IBF charts ... a score over #1 Candelo would be something of a lottery winner ... and so you once again rolled them bones looking for a seven or eleven.

But not on this night ... it was the slicker Candelo doing the better work ... the outside belonged to the taller Colombian ... but you kept bringing the action and much of the time it was a battle in a phone booth.

By round four the handwriting was pretty much on the wall ... yes, you had your share of scoring ... mostly to the body with hooks and a hard right hand ... but Candelo had been there before and countered with inside uppercuts and combinations galore.

Finally round seven ... a brutal dissection that saw a courageous effort slowing to a walk ... and then number eight and the curtain would drop.

Was two minutes into the stanza that Candelo finished a flurry with a big right hand that saw you reeling ... then a quick follow-up right hand and you hit the deck for the first time in his 29 bout career ... no surprise you beat the count but sent to the canvas again when on the receiving end of a flurry of some six punches.

You're Julio Garcia ... you opted to roll the dice once again ... but this time snake eyes grabbed you ... but you fought with pride and dignity to the ugly end ... you're Julio Garcia and there will be other nights.

End came at 2:32 of round eight ... Candelo improves to 27-5-3, 18 stops ... Garcia drops to 25-2-2, 11 KOs.

Observations: This one could, and should have been halted following first knockdown ... over seven and change grueling rounds of hot action Garcia was doing battle on an empty fuel tank ... and Candelo had already proven he could handle the Garcia incoming mail over the more competitive early rounds.

A rest seems in order for the Cuban warrior ... and from this point on some closer scrutiny come the selecting department ... for sure there's still mucho fite in this one called "The Cuban Lover."

07-27-03

Visit Geo El's "Nostalgic Corner"