Ryan Garcia showcased his explosiveness on Saturday, serving as a powerful reminder to boxing fans. The junior welterweight star successfully bounced back from the first setback of his career.

Despite a fight week filled with drama and a heated war of words with his own promoters, Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) demonstrated no mercy in his eighth-round TKO against Mexican slugger Oscar Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) at the Toyota Center in Houston.

The win not only signified 25-year-old Garcia's comeback to the victory column, just eight months after his knockout defeat to Gervonta Davis in their pay-per-view blockbuster, but it also marked the successful initiation of his new collaboration with Derrick James, the 2022 Trainer of the Year. James became Garcia's third head coach in as many years.

"[Duarte] was a strong fighter. He took a good punch. He's a Mexican fighter like me and he's tough. I hit him with some hard shots but he just kept coming. I started using my legs, just as Derrick told me to between rounds, and it opened up the shots."

"It was a great performance but I just want to give honor to God and give him the glory," Garcia said. "I fought hard to find myself again. I did a lot of soul searching and I just wanted to thank him."

"It just comes with the territory," Garcia said. "I am a person about moving forward and having a kind heart and showing forgiveness so I just keep it at that. I want to show positivity in this world. I said what I said but I hold no hard feelings."

Despite the potential distraction of his heated feud with Golden Boy Promotions, Garcia's impressive ability to maintain focus was evident. The conflict reached a new level during Thursday's final press conference, as Garcia, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins took turns airing out their private grievances.

While the fight concluded with a highlight-reel finish initiated by Garcia's stunning check left hook in Round 8, the overall evaluation of Garcia's comeback performance presents a mixed bag.

Certainly understandable for the inaugural bout of a new trainer-fighter relationship, Garcia persisted in displaying perplexing (and potentially risky) responses to Duarte's pressure. Throughout the middle rounds, he predominantly avoided engaging in any exchanges, drawing boos from the crowd due to Garcia's continuous movement.

However, what truly sets Garcia apart – the potent fusion of his speed and power – erupted seemingly unexpectedly in Round 8, igniting a closely contested bout. Following a significant impact with his counter left hook that severely hurt Duarte, Garcia unleashed a barrage of combinations, ultimately leading to Duarte's downfall.

Despite Duarte managing to rise before the count concluded, referee James Green, apprehensive about the expression in his eyes, decided to halt the fight at 2:51 of the round.

"I have a killer instinct," Garcia said. "Sometimes, when I am hurting somebody that bad, I am just cracking them. But I caught him with a perfect left hook. 

"I just had to slow his momentum down. He was building momentum, momentum and I knew I had to cut this off somehow."

Garcia's slight edge in punches landed over Duarte, as reported by CompuBox, elucidates the close nature of this fight until its conclusion. Post-fight, Garcia commended James for his contribution and expressed his desire for a title shot at 140 pounds, specifically targeting WBA champion Rolando "Rolly" Romero.

"It's our first fight. [James and I] worked hard," Garcia said. "We are going to build off this and are committed to get better. I'm committing to becoming a world champion so, if Rolly wants it, let's do this."

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