PACQUIAO?S FORMER SPARRING PARTNER TAPIA WINS BY TKO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 29 Sep 2013
?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao?s former sparring partner Glen ?Jersey Boy? Tapia has continued his impressive winning streak with a 5th round TKO victory over Elco ?The Animal? Garcia at Bally?s Events Center in Atlantic City.
With the win, the 23 year old Tapia who made lots of friends when he was a member of Pacquiao?s training camp in Baguio City, improved his unbeaten record to 20-0 with 12 knockouts while his 42 year old Mexican opponent dropped to 27-9 with 13 knockouts.
Boxingscene.com reported that although Tapia's supporters went wild, the unbeaten junior middleweight contender from Passaic wasn't nearly as pleased with his performance.
Tapia said, "I'm my own toughest critic. I didn't like it at all. The crowd was happy and I'm here to entertain, so that's good. But I was trying too hard to knock him out from the first round. I should've taken my time and I would've gotten him out of there way earlier."
Boxing writer Keith Idec said while Tapia didn?t struggle against Garcia, he just didn't look as sharp as he did during his career-changing, nationally televised victory over previously undefeated Abie Han who suffered his first loss against Tapia to drop to 19-1 with 12 knockouts on July 12 at the Texas Station Casino in El Paso, Texas.
Han retired in the 8th round after being cut on the left side of his head in round four and being dropped in round 7.
Trainer Alex Devia said Tapia ?was anxious and wanted to stop Garcia. At first he went in a little wide with his punches but once he noticed he hurt him to the body, he stayed to the body.
And once he started putting his punches together, it was over."
Idec reported that after hammering the gallant Garcia with hard punches to the head and body for nearly five full rounds, Tapia hurt him badly with a right hand late in the fifth round and finally floored him. Garcia got to his feet, but he was disoriented and referee Benjy Esteves stopped the fight with one second to go in the fifth.
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