BIYU PROMOTIONS FIGHTERS SHINE ON “DOMINICAN FIGHT NIGHT” IN SANTO DOMINGO

 

Credit: CombatVision TV 

Press Release: September 14, 2026 By Mario Serrano For CombatVision TV  - SANTO DOMINGO, DR. (September 14, 2026) — “Dominican Fight Night,” co-promoted by BiYu Promotions and Shuan Boxing, delivered a full night of action this past Friday, September 11, from Coliseo Carlos Teo Cruz in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Broadcast worldwide on CombatVisionTV, the event provided an international stage for several of the Dominican Republic’s rising fighters, along with promising young talent from the United States. Fighters competing under the BiYu Promotions banner turned in several strong performances, led by undefeated super welterweight Rafael Abreu, unbeaten super featherweight Eliesel Ledesma, undefeated prospects Pryce Sparrow, Ty Cassell and Angel Rodriguez, along with cruiserweight Starlyn Guzman.

“I was very pleased with what I saw from our fighters,” said Bobby Harrison, President of BiYu Promotions. “Rafael, Eliesel, Pryce, Ty and Angel all came away with victories, and each one showed something different. Starlyn came up short in a very close fight, but sometimes those are the fights that help a young fighter grow. We believe in all of these guys, and nights like this give them the experience they need as we continue moving them forward.”

Abreu continued his impressive run with another explosive knockout, stopping Juan Delgado de Leon in the second round of their scheduled eight-round super welterweight bout. Abreu ended the fight at 2:59 of the round, improving his undefeated record to 13-0 with 12 knockouts.

Ledesma remained unbeaten with a hard-fought unanimous decision over Jorge Santana in their eight-round super featherweight contest. All three judges scored the bout 77-75 for Rodriguez Ledesma, who improved to 10-0-2 with 8 KOs.

Sparrow took another step forward in his young career with a dominant eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Oliver Flores, who entered the bout with more than 40 professional fights. Sparrow controlled the action on his way to scores of 80-71, 80-71 and 79-72, improving to 7-0 with 4 KOs.

Houston’s Cassell made quick work of previously unbeaten Cristofer Peralta, stopping him at 1:19 of the second round of their scheduled six-round super lightweight bout. The 19-year-old Cassell improved to 6-0 with 4 KOs with the victory.

Rodriguez also kept his undefeated record intact, earning a convincing six-round unanimous decision over Nayer Gonzalez Jimenez in their featherweight matchup. Rodriguez won by scores of 59-54, 59-54 and 60-53, improving to 6-0 with 3 KOs.

Cruiserweight Guzman suffered the first defeat of his professional career, dropping a competitive six-round unanimous decision to Jankelly Rodriguez Paulino. All three judges scored the fight 58-56. Guzman, who had knocked out each of his previous five opponents, is now 5-1 with 5 KOs.

“We’re building something special at BiYu Promotions, and the goal is to develop these fighters the right way,” Harrison continued. “We want to keep them active, give them competitive fights and put them in situations where they have to keep improving. There’s a lot of talent on this roster, both in the Dominican Republic and the United States, and I’m excited about where we’re headed.”

ADDITIONAL RESULTS:

Feudri Franco scored a first-round knockout over Junior Desir at 2:07.

Miguel Angel Arias stopped Jose Manuel Perez by third-round TKO at 2:15.

Misael Vasquez defeated Michael Chaise Nelson by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 79-73.

Jose Luis De Los Santos Feliz knocked out Eliezer Aquino in the sixth round at 2:46

.

Vivian Bianelis Rodriguez stopped Grecia Novas Mateo by third-round TKO at 1:22.

Keuryn Alcantara defeated Markin Quezada Nunez by third-round TKO.

Yan Carlos Perez and Juan Alcantara Sanchez fought to an eight-round majority draw. Two judges scored the bout 76-76, while the third had Perez ahead 78-74.

Carlos Johnson defeated Kermin Jimenez by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the six-round bout 57-56.

Yankiel Rivera Figueroa stopped Francisco Vargas Martinez in the opening round at 2:23.

Luis Rosario Villafane scored a third-round TKO over Jose Rodriguez Lora at 0:57.

Elvis Del Castillo stopped Juan Carlos Salazar Jose by fourth-round TKO.

Alexander Rivera knocked out Bladimir Heredia Roa in the sixth and final round at 2:08.

Bryan Santos Mendez defeated Juan Carlos Constanza by four-round majority decision, with scores of 38-38, 40-36 and 39-37.

Material Courtesy of: Mario Serrano/ Photo Courtesy of: CombatVision TV  Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Ryan Garcia Makes A Statement In First Defense Of WBC World Welterweight Championship

 The fight between WBC Welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia and WBC mandatory challenger Conor Benn had the ingredients to be one of the marquee events of the year. Not only would it take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on September 12th, but it would also take place during one of the bigger dates on the Boxing calendar every year. Mexican Independence Day Weekend. 

It also had no shortage of hype tactics leading up to it that often become tiresome with the fighters pledging to do whatever came out of their mouths to achieve victory on fight night. There was also no lacking of elements involving the business side of the sport where the World Boxing Council (WBC), who's world championship would be on the line per Garcia holding the championship, not being acknowledged by the promoter of the bout Zuffa Boxing, who are intent on creating their own championships and do not seem interested in working within the existing structure of the sport of Boxing.

All the prefight rhetoric and elements of the business of Boxing aside, what this ultimately came down to was a world champion meeting his number one contender before a capacity crowd. Under circumstances where some champions have froze during their first title defenses or at minimum, failed to impress in their initial defense as a world champion, Garcia would make a statement in his.

From the opening bell, Benn aggressively pursued Garcia trying to back him up and cut off the ring to minimize the champion’s movement. While this is a strategy that Benn had used before and one that has a resemblance to that of his father the legendary former two-division world champion Nigel Benn in how he would often pursue and attack his opponents, it did leave Benn vulnerable to punches as he was coming forward. It would be late in the first round when Garcia clipped Benn with his trademark weapon, a left hook to the head that knocked Benn off balance briefly as he came forward.

In round two a similar sequence would occur, only this time as Benn came forward, he walked into a perfectly timed right hand that sent Benn down on his stomach on the canvas. To the challenger’s credit, he was able to get up, but Garcia, sensing he had his opponent in trouble, pressed forward for the finish, unleashing a barrage of blows that Benn did not answer and this gave Referee Thomas Taylor the justification to step in and stop the fight at 1:25 of round two. 

Although some may question the stoppage in that not every punch Garcia threw during the ending barrage connected cleanly, Benn was unable to throw any offense back to stop Garcia's assault and a competent referee, which Thomas Taylor has proven to be as one of the top referees in the entire sport, who is frequently sought to travel worldwide to officiate bouts as a referee, will not let a fight go on if the opponent, in this case Conor Benn, is not throwing punches back. 

Ultimately, there is not much one can say about this encounter other than Ryan Garcia lived up to the standards that are often expected of a champion. He set his opponent up, executed on the opening, and then knowing his opponent was compromised, went in for the finish and did not allow Conor Benn to recover. There simply is not much more one can say or analysis one can offer about what took place inside the ring on this Saturday night in Las Vegas.

As readers may recall, however, a few short weeks ago on August 22nd in the same venue, the T-Mobile Arena, another world title fight took place in the same 147lb. Welterweight division where Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion by cleverly out Boxing WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero, who won the vacant title in Times Square in New York City with a twelve round unanimous decision over Garcia in May 2025, by a wide unanimous decision.

Prior to that fight, this observer speculated that the Romero-Lopez bout would be the start of an unofficial four boxer box-off where the winner would face the winner of Garcia-Benn in pointing out the coincidence both in the venue in which the two fights would take place as well as the relatively narrow timeframe that the bouts had been scheduled.

As one who has spent most of his life writing about and covering combat sports with Boxing as my primary, I was not surprised to see in the immediate aftermath of Garcia's knockout of Benn, the WBC world champion address Lopez, who was at ringside, during a post-fight interview saying he wants unification and invited Lopez to enter the ring, while the newly crowned WBA world champion was restrained by security at ringside.

Although clearly in the view of yours truly, this was nothing more than a blatant promotional tactic to drum up interest and out of respect both for the sport that I have covered for over three decades as well as my readers, who I do value immensely, I will not repeat some of the “ Colorful Language" for lack of a better term that was exchanged between the two champions during this promotional practice that I feel is not needed in the sport.

Nevertheless, Garcia's statement-making performance as well as Lopez not only being in attendance, but literally steps from the ring, all but confirmed my theory that the two bouts were indeed the beginning of an unofficial box-off with the goal of further unifying the Welterweight division. Now the focus will shift back to those in the realm of the business side of the sport, Garcia’s longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, who is speculated to be nearing the end of its relationship with Garcia, perhaps Zuffa Boxing, under the umbrella of TKO Group that appear hell bent to not do business with other promoters and to spearhead legislation that would essentially give promoters the power to create their own champions, rankings, and changes to fighter pay, which may or may not be of benefit to fighters, the sport, or other promoters, Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, and current owner of Ring Magazine, who has invested heavily into the sport and is a primary financial backer in Zuffa Boxing, and finally the various global streaming networks that are all in play, in this case DAZN, who has a long-standing relationship with De La Hoya, Garcia, and who recently signed Lopez to a multi-fight contract without a promoter being involved, Paramount+ that streamed the Garcia-Benn card in the United States, leaving the international broadcast of the event to DAZN, and maybe even Netflix, who has also become a significant player in Boxing, streaming several events including two promoted by Turki Al-Sheikh and Ring Magazine, and who is interested in bringing marquee Boxing events to it's network for subscribers. 

Although I would love to tell the reader that this will result in a Garcia-Lopez bout being made quickly, and will subsequently lead to more marquee bouts, more involvement and collaboration between the sport’s promoters as opposed to the adversarial nature the sport often runs on, the involvement of Boxing’s sanctioning organizations with the goal of unification not just in the Welterweight division, but the entire sport, and the various streaming networks that are all involved, and all of the above will benefit the sport and not require further expense by consumers either in the form of a standalone fee or a tiered subscription where fights thought to be “Pay-Per-View Level” will be included. Unfortunately, I cannot say that with a degree of certainty at this moment. 

What I can say, however, is with the introduction of a DAZN Ultimate subscription plan, which has given consumers an alternative to paying inflated pay-per-view fees at a reasonable price, the fact that for those who were outside of the United States, Garcia-Benn was available as part of said subscription, how Paramount+ also recognized the need to make this event available for its subscribers as part of a Paramount+ subscription at no additional cost, and the fact that Netflix has also recognized that going with a pay-per-view approach is not a viable strategy, along with most of the sport’s major promoters now being aligned with DAZN, there is at least hope that Boxing’s power brokers understand the needs and trends of consumers and know that the days of inflated pay-per-view fees are now in the past. If nothing else, because consumers have shown worldwide that they will not continue to support the sport in significant numbers by being asked to pay inflated fees on an all too frequent basis. The long-term future of the sport will depend greatly on collaboration, promoters willingness to work within the existing structure of the sport rather than to try and radicalize it for their own agenda, and putting the Boxing fan/consumer as a priority. We will have to simply wait and see how the next round, fought in the business realm of the sport, plays itself out.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1  

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1  

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1    

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/beaudenison1.bsky.social 

Garcia-Benn Preview

 On August 22nd, Teofimo Lopez emerged victorious in becoming a three-division world champion when he scored a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. It was that fight that this observer speculated prior to it taking place, could have been the unofficial start of a four-boxer box-off as there was another world title fight that would take place in the same venue a few short weeks after Lopez ultimately defeated Romero. The second bout will be for the WBC World Welterweight championship as champion Ryan Garcia looks to make the first defense of his world title for the first time against top Welterweight contender Conor Benn in a twelve round bout that can be seen in the United States on digital subscription general entertainment network Paramount+ and internationally on digital subscription sports streaming DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view option or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. 

What makes this fight interesting beyond it being the first title defense for Garcia, a fighter who has had some setbacks along the way in his career, but one who has evolved into one of the top stars in the sport of Boxing, is in this case he’s going against a fighter in Benn that not only has the lineage being the son of the legendary two-division world champion Nigel Benn, but Conor Benn has spent his recent fights fighting well above the 147lb. Welterweight division, having competed in two fights against Chris Eubank Jr., the son of his father’s rival Chris Eubank Sr. with those bouts taking place in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. Prior to those bouts, in which Benn went 1-1 against Eubank Jr., he was a career Welterweight and was on the verge of challenging for a world title before Garcia got his opportunities. The question here is after having gone up three weight classes for his last two fights, what condition will he be in after coming back down in weight for this world title opportunity.

There have been times throughout history where fighters either after having won world titles at higher weights or looking for an opportunity to challenge for a world title after competing at higher weights, have come back down in weight with not so successful results. Two notable examples this observer has thought of in recent days as I prepared to pen this column was first in February 1991, the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard  after winning world titles from the 147lb. Welterweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division, moved down in weight after last competing in December 1989 in defense of his WBC Super-Middleweight world championship in his third fight against his longtime rival Roberto Duran, chose to take on WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Terry Norris inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. From the opening bell, Norris administered a beating to Leonard, dropping him twice throughout the twelve round world championship bout and earning a wide unanimous decision victory to retain his title. After the fight right in the ring after the decision was announced, Leonard announced to the crowd in attendance that this would be his final fight and retired for six years before making another ill-fated combat in March 1997 when at age forty, he suffered the first knockout of his career when he was stopped in five rounds by the late great Hector “Macho” Camacho in five rounds inside the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Leonard, as he had done after the loss to Norris, retired following being stopped by Camacho, never to fight again.

A second example came in March 2003 where Roy Jones, a fighter who won world titles from the 160lb. Middleweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division moved up to challenge WBA World Heavyweight champion John Ruiz for his world title and scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision to become a Heavyweight world champion and in doing so, became the first former Middleweight champion to successfully move up to Heavyweight and win a world title since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897. As historic as that accomplish was and remains, following that fight, despite Jones not really having anything else to prove and being in a position where he could have retired with an unmatched legacy, he was still a unified Light-Heavyweight world champion at the time he beat Ruiz and opted to move back down in weight to defend his title against Antonio Tarver later in 2003. Jones looked very sluggish and struggled to retain his title in a controversial decision in November 2003. The decision, that many felt should have gone Tarver’s way, fueled demand for an immediate rematch in May 2004. In that rematch, Tarver scored a second round one punch knockout of Jones, and from that point until Jones retired, having competed in his last official fight in 2023, was never the same fighter and his reflexes, punch resistance, and reaction time were clearly compromised after that knockout loss. Whether that was due to moving back down in weight after defeating Ruiz, or the effect of the knockout at the hands of Tarver in the second fight of what became a trilogy is a subject that will be debated by Boxing fans and historians such as yours truly. If one were to ask my opinion on the subject with regard to Jones, I believe it was a combination of both the drop back down in weight as well as the first of what became five knockouts Jones would go on to suffer throughout the remainder of his career that contributed to his decline.

In this case, we are talking about a fighter in Conor Benn that is a lot closer to his physical prime than either Leonard or Jones were when they opted to move back down in weight. Whether or not it will have negative physical effects in this fight or moving beyond this fight remains to be seen. The loss of mass that one puts on as they are preparing to move up in weight is something to consider as this fight approaches, though the fact that Benn is closer to his prime might be to his benefit in that his body might be able to respond better than both Leonard and Jones were as in addition to age and moving up in weight throughout their careers, both had been through their share of grueling battles, which no doubt contributed to their decline.

In terms of the fight itself, both Garcia and Benn have shown that they can do a little of everything and each have the type of explosive punching power that if they connect, they can end a fight with either hand. What this fight will come down to in my eyes is who will be able to take the initiative and whether they will be able to maintain that pace for however long the fight lasts. 

Whether or not this fight does indeed lead to a showdown later this year with the recently crowned WBA Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez also remains to be seen. With Lopez having put on a stellar performance a few short weeks ago, however, it will be up to Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn to take the attention off of Lopez and put it on themselves. If that translates into a great fight, even better for Boxing as a whole. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Garcia vs. Benn takes place on Saturday, September 12th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on general entertainment subscription streaming network Paramount+ beginning at 4PM ET/1PM PT and will be included with a Paramount+ subscription.

For more information about Paramount+ including schedules, list of compatible devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ParamountPlus.com. 

Internationally, the card can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view option or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. For more information about DAZN including schedules,list of compatible streaming devices, platforms,Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times and region specific pricing in your area, to subscribe or purchase this event as a standalone offering please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1  

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1 

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1     

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/beaudenison1.bsky.social 

Labor Day Weekend 2026 Thoughts

 Labor Day weekend 2026 featured two stars of the sport of Boxing at distinctly different stages of their careers. First up on September 4th, it was former unified World Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz returning to the ring for the first time in two years to face Heavyweight contender Damian Knyba at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Whenever a fighter, whether notable for their accomplishments or not inside the ring, returns from a long absence, the subject of inactivity is always a topic of discussion.

In that what will the effect of the inactivity have on the fighter when they step back into active competition? For Andy Ruiz, it proved to be both a combination of both inactivity as well as Knyba’s taller height and eighty six inch reach. From the opening bell, the 6’7 Knyba kept the 6’2 Ruiz on the outside with his longer arms and consistent jab. This proved to be the story of the fight as Knyba was able to keep Ruiz at distance and only able to land his punches sporadically. Though this is not the most entertaining approach from a fan’s perspective, when executed properly where a fighter knows how to use their physical attributes to their advantage, it is effective. Despite the formulaic pace of the fight, which consisted of Ruiz coming forward, often being hit with jabs and right hands as he tried to get on the inside, and Knyba moving laterally to maintain a distance where he could maintain control of the combat, Knyba nearly ended the fight in the seventh round with a 1-2 combination that set off a brutal barrage of punches that badly hurt Ruiz and sent him down to the canvas. 

Ruiz was able to beat the count on very unsteady legs, but Knyba had come within mere seconds of scoring a stoppage of the former world champion. With Ruiz being able to survive the round, it may have been logical to see Knyba become more aggressive in perhaps thinking he may have been able to force a stoppage on a still vulnerable Ruiz, but what stood out here was the discipline Knyba showed in maintaining his advantage, sticking to what had proven to be an effective strategy, and not allowing himself to be over aggressive in pursuing a knockout victory. To his credit, Ruiz did show an ability to recover from circumstances where he appeared to be out on his feet and did have some periodic success in the later rounds, but it was not enough to turn things in his favor as Knyba boxed his way to a wide twelve round unanimous decision victory.

As impressive and workmanlike as Knyba’s performance in this fight was, the story here coming out of this fight is what does the future look like for Andy Ruiz? Following the fight, this observer commented on social media in giving credit to Ruiz for his ability to survive nearly being stopped in the seventh round, but noted that inactivity is truly a silent killer for combat athletes. Ruiz, who had previously been aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, like many fighters who have fought under the PBC banner, had seen his activity in how often he competes decline as the PBC has seen its schedule of events also decline in recent years. It is true that prior to this fight and loss to Damian Knyba, Andy Ruiz had fought only three times in the last seven years. 

Although it is not uncommon in the present day in the sport of Boxing to see fighters who are considered elite-level and/or stars of the sport to only compete once or twice in a calendar year, if nothing else due to the economics for fighters in that position having significantly improved per fight as compared to previous eras of the sport, the trade-off often to not competing as often is over time inactivity takes its toll and skills, reflexes, and reaction time tend to diminish due to both age and inactivity. For his part, the thirty-seven year old Ruiz, who is now competing under promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, has said he intends to continue his career. The benefit for Ruiz is he will likely be offered fights in a more frequent timeframe than had been the case previously in his career. What it will come down to is whether Ruiz is committed to what could be a lengthy rebuild process due to this setback to Knyba and whether he will stay the course even if he were to suffer another setback down the road. Ruiz still has name recognition clout and that will help him get opportunities, but he needs to stay active and make the most of whatever opportunities are presented to him if he is to continue his career as name recognition on its own will not be enough to get another opportunity at a world title if he does not stay active and does not score a few wins against fighters that range from fringe to legitimate contenders. The primary thing if Ruiz wants to continue his career will be to recover from the toll this fight took on him and stay active moving forward.

On September 5th, the focus of the Boxing world shifted to Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland where future Hall of Famer Katie Taylor fulfilled a lifelong dream to fight in the legendary stadium for her final fight in defense of her unified WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship to face undefeated IBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Flora Pili for the Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world championship. While the main story of this fight was the final chapter of Katie Taylor’s groundbreaking and incredible career, the other part of this story was the event itself in that this fight was the main event in a stadium that was filled with 82,000 spectators, something that had never been done before for a fight in Woman’s Boxing, and served as another accolade for Taylor following her participating in the first two women’s fights to main event the main arena inside of Madison Square Garden in her career.

As she has done for virtually her entire career, Taylor put forth a masterclass performance from the opening bell using lateral movement, compact combination punching, and when necessary, counter punching to out box Pili over ten rounds to score a wide ten round unanimous decision to become an undisputed champion for the third time in her career following previously accomplishing the feat in the Lightweight division and previously doing it as a Jr. Welterweight as well. 

Although yours truly is on record in saying following the conclusion of Taylor’s trilogy with Amanda Serrano in 2025 that there was nothing more either of the two legends and future Hall of Famers had to prove in their respective careers inside the ring, this fight, which was likely the only scenario Taylor would return to the ring for in being able to make history and fulfill her dream of fighting in Croke Park, along with the dominant performance she put forth, proved to be the ultimate storybook ending for a truly great fighter who broke ground for female fighters both in her native Ireland as well as worldwide as she was one of the fighters in the most recent era that was able to elevate pay for her fellow fighters through her success inside the ring and it will be future generations of female fighters who will be able to benefit more from what fighters like Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Cecilia Braekhus, Jessica McCaskill, Claressa Shields, and many others have been able to accomplish both in regard to the pay that is now available to female fighters as well as the position of women’s bouts as often women’s bouts are now featured in main events not just internationally, but also here in the United States, which was not the case in previous eras in the sport.

This is a significant legacy for Taylor to leave and though as there always seems to be in Boxing, there will likely be offers for her to continue her career, which may be enticing depending on the financial incentives, there simply is no other way that she could top what he has done, in both being part of the first two Women’s main events in the history of Madison Square Garden, being victorious in both of those bouts, and being able to headline the first stadium event in which a women’s bout drew 82,000 spectators. Whatever the next chapter of Katie Taylor’s life entails, you simply cannot do much better than what she has accomplished. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1  

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1 

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1     

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/beaudenison1.bsky.social 

BiYu Promotions’ Garcia Drops Chaves Four Times in Masterful Boxing Performance

Credit:Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

 Press Release: September 7, 2026 By Mario Serrano - NEWARK, NJ (September 5, 2026)

 — Written off by the oddsmakers but never short on belief, 

BiYu Promotions 

lightweight contender

 Eridson Garcia 

(24-2, 14 KOs) delivered the biggest victory of his professional career last night, upsetting previously unbeaten knockout artist 

Alan Chaves 

(22-1, 19 KOs) in a dominant 10-round performance to capture the 

IBF International 

and 

WBO Latino Lightweight 

titles at the 

Prudential Center 

in 

Newark, New Jersey

.

The event was promoted by 

Matchroom Boxing

, broadcast live on 

DAZN 

in the

 United Kingdom 

and 

TNT 

in the United States.

Entering the bout as a 

7-1 underdog

, Garcia refused to fight like one. The Dominican Republic native put on a boxing masterclass, using a brilliant jab, lateral movement, distance and accurate combinations to neutralize the dangerous Chaves. Garcia dropped the Argentine once in the second round, twice in the fifth and again in the ninth on his way to a commanding unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 

99-87, 99-88 

and

 98-88

, all in favor of Garcia.

Credit: Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

From the opening bell, it was apparent Garcia was in rhythm and operating at his best. Armed with an 11-inch reach advantage, Garcia controlled the fight from the outside, repeatedly beating Chaves to the punch and using his feet to prevent the heavy-handed Argentine from establishing a consistent attack.

Despite entering with 19 knockouts in 22 victories, Chaves had few answers for Garcia’s speed, accuracy and disciplined boxing.

For Garcia, the victory was the culmination of preparation, belief and an opportunity he was determined not to waste.

“I’m extremely grateful for this victory and for everyone who gave me the opportunity to be in this position,” said Garcia. “I knew people were looking at the odds and saying I was the underdog, but I never looked at myself that way. I respected Chaves because he was undefeated and had tremendous punching power, but I believed in my skills and in the work we put in. From the first round, I felt comfortable. My jab was working, my movement was there, and I was seeing everything clearly. I stayed disciplined and followed the game plan. To drop a fighter like Chaves four times and leave with these two titles is a blessing. I give God all the glory.”

Garcia credited much of his success to an outstanding training camp in the Dominican Republic alongside 

Coach Rene Vazquez

. The preparation centered on using Garcia’s physical advantages while maintaining the discipline necessary to avoid giving Chaves opportunities to unleash his power.

“Coach Rene Vazquez and I had a great training camp in the Dominican Republic, and everything we worked on showed up in the fight,” Garcia said. “We knew Chaves was dangerous, so we couldn’t make mistakes or stand in front of him unnecessarily. Coach kept telling me to trust my jab, use my reach, move after my combinations and stay focused for every second of every round. We trained very hard, but we also trained smart. When I got into the ring, I felt prepared for anything he tried to do. I’m thankful to Coach Rene and my entire team because this victory belongs to all of us.”

Garcia’s execution was evident throughout the contest. Rather than becoming reckless after scoring knockdowns, he remained composed and continued using the tools that had established his advantage. His jab repeatedly disrupted Chaves’ offense, while his lateral movement and precision punching allowed him to dictate where and how the exchanges took place.

At 24-2 with 14 knockouts and now holding two regional lightweight championships, Garcia believes defeating a previously unbeaten opponent of Chaves’ caliber has changed the trajectory of his career.

“This victory opens a new chapter for me,” Garcia said. “Beating an undefeated fighter who was 22-0 with 19 knockouts and winning the IBF International and WBO Latino titles is the type of victory that can change a fighter’s career. I’m grateful because opportunities like this are not guaranteed in boxing. You have to be ready when your name is called, and I was ready. Now I want to keep improving, keep winning and continue moving toward the top of the lightweight division. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’m going to stay humble, stay in the gym and let my team guide me toward the next opportunity.”

Bobby Harrison, President 

of

 BiYu Promotions

, praised Garcia for embracing the underdog role and producing a performance that Harrison believes will create significantly bigger opportunities for the Dominican lightweight.

“What Eridson Garcia did was incredible,” Harrison said. “He went into this fight as a 7-1 underdog against an undefeated fighter who everyone was saying is the next great fighter from Argentina, and he didn’t just find a way to win, he put on a boxing clinic. The jab, the footwork, the distance, the accuracy and the composure were all outstanding. The fact that he dropped Chaves four times was insane. He controlled the fight from beginning to end. The world got an opportunity to see what we at BiYu Promotions already knew, that Eridson Garcia is a serious lightweight contender.”

Harrison believes Garcia’s newly acquired IBF International and WBO Latino titles, combined with the quality of his performance, should put him in position for another significant fight.

“This victory changes everything for Eridson,” Harrison continued. “He now has two important titles around his waist and a signature victory over an undefeated, dangerous opponent. The next step is to capitalize on this momentum. We’re going to sit down with his team, look at the opportunities that become available and make the move that gets him closer to where he wants to be, a world title shot. He earned the right to be in the conversation with the top lightweights, and we intend to keep putting him in meaningful fights.”

Credit:  Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

Garcia entered the night as the betting underdog. He left with four knockdowns, two championship belts and the most significant victory of his professional career. For a fighter who was given little chance by the oddsmakers, Garcia didn't need to say much after 10 rounds. His performance had already delivered the message. Eridson Garcia is no longer an underdog to overlook.

Material Courtesy of: Mario Serrano/ Photos Courtesy of: Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing  Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.