Bantamweight Anthony Garnica Scores TKO Against Aston Palicte to Remain Undefeated
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 22 Apr 2025
LONG BEACH, CA (April 21, 2025) – This past Saturday, rising bantamweight prospect, Anthony Garnica from Oakland, CA, remained undefeated with a third-round TKO over former two-time world challenger and Philippine native, Aston Palicte (27-8-1, 23 KOs), improving his record to (13-0, 8 KOs). With the victory, Garnica captured the National Boxing Association (NBA) Inter-Continental bantamweight title. The scheduled 8-round bout promoted by Showtime Boxing Promotions took place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, and was streamed live on WBCBOXING.com.
From the opening bell, Garnica took control of the fight, letting his hands fly with bad intentions, forcing Palicte into a fire fight. After an entertaining first round, Garnica landed a vicious body shot in round two, sending Palicte to the canvas. Palicte was able to make it to round three and showed tremendous resilience dropping Garnica with a straight right cross. When Garnica recovered, he went right back at Palicte and ended the bout with a flurry of punches forcing the referee to stop the fight at the :40 second mark of round three.
"I was feeling great in round one and hit him with a nice shot to the body in round two.” Garnica stated. “I was a little carless trying to end the fight at the beginning of round three and he caught me with a clean shot, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I knew I had to bite down, stay composed, and take back control—and that’s exactly what I did, and took him out of there."
In the action-packed 8-round co-main event, Israel Mercado (12-1-2, 7 KOs) earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over the battle-tested Jonathan Jose Eniz (35-22-1, 16 KOs). From the opening bell, the bout turned into a slugfest, with both fighters trading heavy shots in the center of the ring. Mercado showcased sharp boxing skills and smart ring IQ, using Eniz’s forward pressure against him to land clean counters and control the pace. As the final 30 seconds ticked down, the two warriors stood toe-to-toe, unleashing everything they had and bringing the crowd to their feet. After eight thrilling rounds, it was Mercado who emerged with his hand raised.
Showtime Promotions executives Reyes Mejia and Lenin Garcia weighed in on the success of their “New Era Fight Night” series, an event designed to spotlight boxing’s next generation of stars.
“Anthony Garnica showed why he’s considered one of the top bantamweight prospects in boxing. To take out a crafty veteran like Palicte proved he’s got the talent to make a run at the bantamweight title. In addition, Mercado vs. Eniz was non-stop action that had the crowd on their feet. This entire card delivered.”
“We couldn’t be happier with how the night played out” added Garcia. “Our mission at Showtime Promotions is to deliver great fights and build the platform for tomorrow’s champions. Garnica showed he’s on that path—and we’re just getting started.”
Undercard Results:
6-round super middleweight bout
Raul Salomon (15-3, 13 KOs) defeated Crispulo Javier Andino (26-16-1, 12 KOs) by first round KO.
4-round super lightweight bout
Avetis Gadya (1-0, 1 KO) defeated David Minter (4-8, 3 KOs) by second round KO.
4-round bantamweight bout
Chantel Navarro (5-0, 3 KOs) defeated Wendy Villegas (2-6, 2 KOs) by unanimous decision.
Brianda Cruz (2-0) defeated Julia Igel (3-1, 2 KOs) by unanimous decision.
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