The easy work before Friday night brought questions of what a bona fide boxer would expose on Victorville prospect Ryan Garcia.

And while Garcia would be well served to continue developing his jab, combinations and lateral movement, his convincing victory over former featherweight title challenger Jayson Velez proved the 19-year-old possesses a future worth following.

Garcia (15-0) won by three scores of 99-91 by relying on his rapid, powerful hand speed to defuse efforts by Velez (26-5-1) to pound Garcia’s body.

“He helped me learn. I need to keep stepping it up, keep learning,” Garcia said. “I feel like I could’ve gotten him out of there if I had gone to the body more.”


In the super-featherweight fight that drew an impressive 6,625 to StubHub Center, Garcia wobbled Velez in the third and fifth with power punches to the head, and he threw a few flurries.

But Velez, while getting puffed near the left eye, survived.

Matchmaker Robert Ortiz said he anticipates Garcia returning to the ring in July.

“I didn’t think he would last with me, but I was proven wrong,” Velez said. “He needs a little more experience, but he’s going to be big.”


In the co-main event, Irish middleweight Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan overwhelmed converted welterweight Berlin Abreu (14-2), who called it quits after three rounds of punishment.

Following the withdrawal of Canelo Alvarez, O’Sullivan (28-2) was in negotiations to fight unbeaten, three-belt middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in Saturday night’s main event at StubHub Center, but failed to come to terms.

Promoter “Golden Boy offered me the opportunity to make more money than the Golovkin fight,” said O’Sullivan, who said he planned to discuss that package later Friday night after receiving a $20,000 purse Friday.


O’Sullivan said he expects to return to the ring by September.

East Los Angeles’ women’s flyweight Seniesa Estrada improved to 13-0 with a third-round technical knockout victory over Amarilis Adorno.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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