Ryan Garcia Secures First Unanimous Decision Win Vs. Emmanuel Tagoe
Ryan Garcia had a successful return to the ring.
Garcia (22-0, 18 KOs) extended his unbeaten streak to 22 after recording a unanimous decision win against Ghana’s Emmanuel Tagoe (32-2, 15 KOs) in DAZN’s main event Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
“I was trying my best to get him out of there…I hit him with some malicious shots, I mean, he was taking some big ones,” Garcia said in the post-fight interview.
“But that’s what happens, you can’t knock everybody out and it was a good experience. I went 12 rounds for the first time.”
Saturday’s result brought down Garcia’s knockout percentage to just 81.82 percent. It was his first fight after a career-long 15-month layoff.
In the beginning of the bout, Tagoe fought mainly from the outside while Garcia worked to close the gap, landing a right hand late in the opening round.
In the third round, Garcia caught Tagoe with another right hand, which made Tagoe wrap his arms around Garcia’s waist.
In the fourth, Garcia brought Tagoe to the ropes and hit him with a right hand and left hook. Tagoe responded with a right hand, which initiated a brief exchange with Garcia.
Tagoe’s remained on the defensive side on the following rounds, but found himself in trouble midway through the 10th round after Garcia caught him with a right hand. Tagoe found refuge on the ropes but later fell to the mat, but the referee ruled it a push.
Then Garcia entered the 11th round for the first time in his career while the 10th round marked the second time he found himself there.
For Tagoe, it was just his second loss in 18 years. The first was a TKO loss in his pro debut.
For Garcia, it was the first time in three years that renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso was not in his corner; the 23-year-old split from the camp in early February. Instead, it was new head trainer Joe Goossen.
“I don’t want to call anyone out,” Garcia said. “…I don’t want to lie to y’all. I just want to learn from this and move on. If the fight happens, it happens.”