(L-R – Kevin plaub ntug, Luis Garcia thiab Patrick Brown)

PEEKSKILL, N.Y.. (Kaum Ob Hlis Ntuj 1, 2015) – Kevin Dever kev ua si Management tau tshaj tawm cov kos npe rau ntawm undefeated Cuban teeb heavyweight prospect Luis “Tus tsov ntxhuav” Garcia mus rau ib qho kom managerial daim ntawv cog lus.

Ze li ntawm yim lub xyoo dhau los,Garcia (12-0, 9 Kos) defected los ntawm teb chaws Cuba mus Mexico nrog koj txog haujlwm boxer Alexei Acosta. Garcia (12-0, 9 Kos), uas hais nyob rau hauv Cork, Ireland, made his professional debut in 2008. He now lives in Peekskill, New York.

“Nws yog ib tug loj kev hloov thaum kuv tsiv mus rau Ireland tshaj yog rau lub lim tiam dhau los thaum kuv tsiv ntawm no,” 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.”

Garcia tau tsis tiv thaiv nyob rau hauv ze li ntawm plaub xyoos vim rau yav dhau los managerial cov teeb meem, tab sis nws teem tseg rov qab yog no hnub vas xaum hmo ntuj, Kaum Ob Hlis Ntuj 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 rau hlis ntuj nqeg 30, 2011 nyob rau hauv Cabazon, California.

“Nws tsis yog kuv txiav txim tsis tau sib ntaus sib tua yav dhau los plaub lub xyoos,” Garcia added. “Something happened with my now former manager and promoter. I trained all the time, sparred ib tug ntau, 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 xyoo. 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.

“America muaj kuv ib tug zoo lub sij hawm, zoo tshaj hais los yog Ireland, 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.”

Garcia ob fights ua ntej nws tas tiv thaiv Johnson tau impressive 2010 kev knockouts ntawm yav tas los lub ntiaj teb champion Byron Mitchell (28-6-1) thiab Jorge Rodriguez Olivera (19-1), feem, nyob rau hauv lub thib ob thiab thib rau rounds.

“Kuv tshuav boxing nrog ib tug phem saj nyob rau hauv kuv lub qhov ncauj tiam sis kuv twb nrhiav kom tau rov qab mus rau hauv boxing,” hais tias Kevin plaub ntug, uas pa roj carbon monoxide-tswj Garcia nrog 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. Kuv ua siab ncaj xav tias, ib zaug nws muaj ib co zoo fights nyob rau hauv nws txoj siv, nws yuav ua ib sab saum toj contender nyob rau hauv lub teeb heavyweight faib. Luis Garcia yog qhov zoo tshaj plaws fighter kuv puas tau ua hauj lwm nrog.”

Garcia, lub ntiaj teb Junior Championship kub medalist, defected vim hais tias nws twb disillusioned tom qab tsis kam muab ib qhov chaw nyob rau 2008 Cuban Olympic Team, txawm nws yeej eventual Olympic nyiaj medalist Emelio Correa, Jr. in the Cuban Olympic Qualifier. Correa is the son of 1972 Olympic zus Emelio Correa, Sr., uas tseem muab kev koom tes nyob rau hauv pib xyaum ua Cuban boxing thaum nws tus tub twb xaiv tshaj Garcia los sawv cev rau hauv teb chaws Cuba nyob rau hauv lub 2008 Olympics. Correa lost in the championship final to James DeGale, lub Brit uas tam sim no yog lub International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight titlist.

Tsis muaj ib tug raug tiv thaiv-thawj Cuban boxer, Garcia yog lub npe hu raws li ib tug nkig Puncher hais tias muaj ntau insiders ntseeg muaj ntau upside tshaj tej Cuban boxers uas twb defected, outside of Guillermo Rigondeaux thiab Yuriorkis Gamboib tug, leej tau ua ntau yam-lub sij hawm lub ntiaj teb no champions li cov tub txawg.

Garcia yog ua hauj lwm tawm ntawm lub Nco Thawj Boxing nyob rau hauv Peekskill thiab Westchester Boxing Club nyob rau hauv Dawb Nras (NY), qhov twg nws yog kawm los ntawm Nick “Khauj tsiav” Delury thiab nws pab, yav tas los lub ntiaj teb no title challenger Larry Barnes (44-3, 17 Kos). A former No. 1 ranked welterweight contender nyob rau hauv lub ntiaj teb no, Barnes’ tsuas yog peb losses raws li ib tug pro twb mus lub ntiaj teb no champions Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Xa-u Mamby thiab Luis Ramon “Yuri tub” Lub tsev kawm ntawv.

“Nws yog ib tug zoo me nyuam, heev ntse thiab muaj kev sib fwm,” Delury commented. “Muaj ib co xeb los ntawm ua tawm plaub lub xyoos, tab sis Luis nyob ib tug zoo, healthy lifestyle and he hasn’t suffered any damage in the ring. Nws yog 28, educated, 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.”