(L-R – Kevin Fatongia, Luis Garcia ko Patrick Brown)

PEEKSKILL, N.Y.. (Hakihea 1, 2015) – Kauwhautia Kevin Dever Sports Whakahaere kua te hainatanga o tūturu Cuban amanaki taumahamaha o te marama Luis “Ko te Lion” Garcia ki te kirimana whakahaere motuhake.

Fatata e waru tau ki muri,Garcia (12-0, 9 Koó) papahoro mai Cuba ki Mexico ki hoa kaimekemeke Alexei Acosta. Garcia (12-0, 9 Koó), nei noho i roto i te Cork, Ireland, made his professional debut in 2008. He now lives in Peekskill, New York.

“Ko te he huringa nui, ina whakakorikoria ahau ki a Ireland atu ko reira ono hepetoma i ma'iri, no te neke ahau i konei,” the 28-year-old Garcia explained. “It was a lot harder in Ireland because I didn’t speak a word of English. I learned English from the street, watching TV and reading. It’s not a big change for me to move around because I traveled all over the world when I was a member of the Cuban National Team.”

E kore kua Garcia whawhai i roto i tata e wha tau e tika ana ki ngā take whakahaere o mua, engari tona hokinga mai whakaritea he tenei Rāhoroi po, Hakihea 5, against an opponent to be determined in a six-round bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. His last fight was a win by eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated (12-0) Alexander Johnson i runga i Hakihea 30, 2011 i roto i te Cabazon, California.

“Ehara i taku whakatau kia kaua e whawhai i te tau e wha mua,” Garcia added. “Something happened with my now former manager and promoter. I trained all the time, sparred te rota, and did as much as I could do in the gym. I still had a contract until it expired. I’ve known Kevin for 2-3 tau. He asked me why I wasn’t fighting and I told him everything. He said to call him when my contract expired because he wanted to manage me and that’s what I did.

“Amerika tuku whai wāhitanga pai ahau, pai atu i Ingarangi Airana, and I’m going to finish my boxing career here. I’m fighting December 5^th and taking things step by step. I’m not going to rush. There are a lot of great fighters in the light heavyweight division and I hope to be in the mix next year.”

E rua whawhai a Garcia mua ki tona whakamutunga ki Johnson i mīharo 2010 knockouts hangarau o te toa mua ao Byron Mitchell (28-6-1) a Jorge Rodriguez Olivera (19-1), aua, i roto i te rua o a te ono o nga rauna.

“Mahue atu i ahau mekemeke ki te reka kino i roto i toku mangai, engari I titiro ahau ki te tiki hoki ki te mekemeke,” mea Kevin Fatongia, nei tahi whakahaere-Garcia ki Patrick Brown. “I knew him from Ireland and I always wanted to manage this kid. He called to tell me his contract had expired and we worked out a deal that brought him here to live in New York.

“I honestly don’t see any rust watching him spar. I know sparring isn’t fighting but everybody in the gym stops to watch him workout. Ahau tika whakaaro e, kua kotahi ia te tahi mau whawhai pai i raro i tona whitiki, ka waiho ia hei nguha runga i roto i te wehenga taumahamaha marama. Luis Garcia Ko te toa pai kua ake mahi ahau ki.”

Garcia, he mētara koura te Ao Junior Championship, papahoro no te mea i te matekiri o ia i muri i te whakakahore i te wahi i runga i te 2008 Team Olympic Cuban, ahakoa hinga ia iku mētara hiriwa Olympic Emelio Correa, JR. in the Cuban Olympic Qualifier. Correa is the son of 1972 Toa Olympic Emelio Correa, Sr., I whai wāhi tonu nei i roto i te mekemeke runaruna Cuban ka tīpakohia tana tama i runga Garcia ki te tohu Cuba i roto i te 2008 Olympics. Correa lost in the championship final to James DeGale, te kawenata nei wawetia ko te International Mekemeke Federation (IBF) titlist whitu super.

Ehara i te kaimekemeke Cuban angamaheni korero-tuatahi, Mohiotia Garcia te rite ki te puncher e hōu e whakapono maha insiders i atu ka huripokitia e atu i tetahi kaimekemeke Cuban kua nei papahoro, outside of Guillermo Rigondeaux a Yuriorkis Gambote, nei e rua kua toa-wā maha ao rite ngaio.

Kei te mahi Garcia i roto i te Kia Tuatahi mekemeke i Peekskill me Westchester Mekemeke Club i White Plains (NY), te wahi te whakangungua ia e Nick “Pongaponga” Delury me tona kaiāwhina, te ao o mua kaiwero taitara Larry Barnes (44-3, 17 Koó). A former No. 1 nguha Welterweight runga i roto i te ao, Barnes’ e toru anake te parekura ano he pro i ki toa o te ao Pirika “Tito” Trinidad, Haora Mamby a Luis Ramon “Yuri Boy” Campus.

“Te ia he koati nui, rawa atamai me te whakaute,” Delury kōrero. “He te te tahi waikura i te atu e wha tau, engari ora Luis he pai, healthy lifestyle and he hasn’t suffered any damage in the ring. Te ia 28, mātauranga, and a true gentleman. It’s been a pleasure working with him. Luis is a gifted boxer. He’s extremely exciting to watch and has a perfect blend of offense and defense.”